We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
The adsorption and its mechanism of venlafaxine by original and aged polypropylene microplastic and the changes of joint toxicity
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how polypropylene microplastics from face masks interact with the antidepressant venlafaxine in water, finding that the plastics can absorb significant amounts of the drug within 24 hours. Aging of the microplastics through environmental weathering increased their ability to adsorb the medication. The study also found that the combination of microplastics and venlafaxine together produced greater toxic effects on test organisms than either contaminant alone.
Conjugation with the increment of consumption of polypropylene (PP) masks and antidepressants during pandemic, PP microplastics (MPs) and Venlafaxine (VEN) widely co-existed in surface waters. However, their environmental fate and the combined toxicity were unclear. Hence, we investigated the adsorption behaviors, and associated mechanisms of PP MPs for VEN. The impact factors including pH, salinity, and MPs aging were estimated. The results indicated PP MPs could adsorb amount of VEN within 24 h. The pseudo second-order kinetic model (R = 0.97) and Dubinin-Radushkevich model (R = 0.89) fitted well with the adsorption capacity of PP MPs for VEN, implying that chemical adsorption accompanied by electrostatic interaction might be the predominant mode for the interactions between PP MPs and VEN. Meanwhile, the adsorption capacity of PP MPs declined from pH of 2.5-4.5 and then increased from 4.5 to 9.5. The increased salinity (5-35 ppt) significantly suppressed the adsorption capacity. Aging by sunlight and UV triggered the formation of new functional group (carbonyl) on MPs, and then enhanced the adsorption capacity for VEN. Gaussian Model analysis further evidenced the electrostatic adsorption occurring in PP MPs and VEN. The combined exposure to PP MPs and VEN showed significantly antagonistic toxicity on Daphnia magna. The adsorption of VEN by PP MPs mitigated the lethal effects and behavioral function impairment posed by VEN on animals, implying the potential protective effects on zooplankton by PP MPs. This study for the first time provides perspective for assessing the environmental fate of MPs and antidepressants in aquatic system.
More Papers Like This
Sorption of selected pharmaceutical compounds on polyethylene microplastics: Roles of pH, aging, and competitive sorption
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics adsorb pharmaceutical compounds including an antibiotic, a beta-blocker, and an antidepressant, with sorption capacity influenced by pH, aging of the plastic, and competition between compounds — raising concern about microplastics as carriers of pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments.
Assessment on attenuation, accumulation, and ecological risk of venlafaxine in aquatic ecosystems Co-exposed to polypropylene microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how polypropylene microplastics affect the fate of the antidepressant venlafaxine in a 60-day aquatic microcosm containing multiple species. They found that biological communities accelerated venlafaxine breakdown, and microplastics further enhanced this attenuation while reducing the drug's accumulation in fish and snails by 1.3 to 2.1 fold. However, the microplastics also caused behavioral changes in fish, reproductive inhibition in snails, and oxidative stress, indicating complex ecological trade-offs.
Aging microplastics enhances the adsorption of pharmaceuticals in freshwater
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that aging microplastics through photo-oxidation significantly increases their ability to adsorb pharmaceutical compounds from freshwater compared to virgin particles. Among the drugs tested, fluoxetine showed the highest adsorption, binding to all aged microplastic types at rates up to 99%. The study highlights that environmentally weathered microplastics may act as more effective carriers of pharmaceutical pollutants in freshwater ecosystems than previously assumed.
Sorption and desorption of selected pharmaceuticals by polyethylene microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested the sorption and desorption of three pharmaceuticals — sulfamethoxazole, propranolol, and sertraline — onto polyethylene microplastics in water, finding that all three compounds sorbed to the plastic surface and were only partially released over time. The results suggest microplastics can act as vectors for pharmaceutical compounds in aquatic environments, potentially affecting their bioavailability.
Enhanced desorption of fluoxetine from polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in gastric fluid and sea water
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that the antidepressant fluoxetine desorbs much faster from PET microplastics in gastric fluid and sea water compared to river water, suggesting microplastics could release pharmaceutical contaminants more readily after ingestion by marine organisms.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.