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Alleviating effects of microplastics together with tetracycline hydrochloride on the physiological stress of Closterium sp.
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Researchers studied how PET and PBT microplastics combined with the antibiotic tetracycline affect freshwater microalgae. They found that in some combinations, microplastics actually reduced the toxicity of the antibiotic to the algae, likely by adsorbing the chemical onto their surfaces. The study highlights the complex and sometimes counterintuitive ways that microplastics interact with other pollutants in aquatic environments.
Microplastics have significant influence on both freshwater cyanobacteria and marine microalgae, especially under co-exposure with other pollutants such as heavy metals, antibiotics, and pharmaceuticals. In the present study, combined effects of microplastics (polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT)) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) on the microalgae Closterium sp. were studied to evaluate their acute toxicity, and the cell density, total chlorophyll concentration, photosynthetic activity, antioxidant system, and subcellular structure of Closterium sp. under different treatments were used to explain the physiological stress mechanism of the combined effects. The results indicate that both the single and combined treatments have inhibition effects on the cell growth and photosynthetic activity, with inhibition efficiencies (in terms of cell density) of 5.0%, 9.2%, 66.7%, 55.1%, and 59.8% for PET (100 mg L-1), PBT (100 mg L-1), TCH (10 mg L-1), PET/TCH (PET 100 mg L-1 and TCH 10 mg L-1), and PBT/TCH (PBT 100 mg L-1 and TCH 10 mg L-1), respectively, and relative electron-transport rates (rETRs) of 7.3%, 12.7%, 66.8%, 54.0%, and 59.9%, respectively, for each treatment compared with the control on the 7th day. Moreover, both PET and PBT have positive effects in alleviating TCH toxicity toward Closterium sp., and at the same time, the malondialdehyde level (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and catalase (CAT) activity induced by the combined treatments were much higher than those from the single microplastic treatments but lower than those from TCH treatment after 7 days. It was demonstrated that TCH causes a much more serious oxidative stress than PET/TCH and PBT/TCH, and the lower oxidative stress of the PET/TCH and PBT/TCH groups could be attributed to the adsorption of TCH to PET or PBT. This work improves the understanding of the combined toxicity effects of microplastics and TCH on Closterium sp.
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Microplastics decrease the toxicity of sulfamethoxazole to marine algae (Skeletonema costatum) at the cellular and molecular levels
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Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole and five types of microplastics on the marine alga Skeletonema costatum. They found that certain microplastics actually decreased the toxicity of the antibiotic by adsorbing it, creating a protective "shelter" effect, though polystyrene combined with the antibiotic caused higher oxidative stress. The study suggests that microplastics can alter the bioavailability and toxicity of co-occurring pollutants in marine environments through adsorption interactions.
Amide groups within polystyrene accelerates tetracycline removal in a continuous advanced microalgal treatment system
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Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics can actually help microalgae remove the antibiotic tetracycline from livestock wastewater more efficiently. The interaction between the antibiotic and the plastic particles reduced toxicity to the algae, allowing them to grow more vigorously and break down the pollutants faster. The study suggests that advanced microalgal treatment systems could simultaneously address both antibiotic and microplastic contamination in agricultural wastewater.
Combined pollution of tetracyclines and microplastics in the aquatic environment: Insights into the occurrence, interaction mechanisms and effects
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This review examines how microplastics and tetracycline antibiotics interact in water environments, since microplastics can absorb and carry antibiotics on their surfaces. Factors like pH, heavy metals, and organic matter in water influence how tightly antibiotics bind to microplastics, and the combined pollution is more harmful to aquatic life than either pollutant alone. This is relevant to human health because these microplastic-antibiotic combinations can enter drinking water supplies and promote antibiotic resistance.
Submicron-size-dependent toxicity of microplastic–antibiotic mixtures in Chlorella pyrenoidosa
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (smaller than a speck of dust) can team up with antibiotics in water to harm algae, the tiny organisms at the base of the food chain, and that the plastic's exact size and surface coating change how toxic the mixture becomes. Interestingly, when plastics and antibiotics mixed together, the combo was often less harmful than antibiotics alone, because the plastic particles soaked up some of the antibiotic. This matters because it shows that studying pollutants one at a time doesn't capture the full picture, real-world mixtures of microplastics and drugs in our water systems behave differently
Higher toxicity induced by co-exposure of polystyrene microplastics and chloramphenicol to Microcystis aeruginosa: Experimental study and molecular dynamics simulation
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Researchers studied what happens when the antibiotic chloramphenicol and polystyrene microplastics are present together in water containing blue-green algae. The study found that the combined exposure was more toxic to the algae than either pollutant alone, disrupting photosynthesis and gene expression. The findings suggest that microplastics and antibiotics may interact in ways that amplify their harmful effects on aquatic ecosystems.
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