We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Interaction behaviors of sulfamethoxazole and microplastics in marine condition: Focusing on the synergistic effects of salinity and temperature
Summary
This study found that microplastics in ocean water readily absorb the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole, but the amount absorbed drops sharply as salinity increases — with seawater conditions reducing uptake by over 50% compared to fresh water. The findings reveal that in realistic marine conditions, the dynamics of antibiotic-microplastic interactions differ substantially from freshwater lab studies, which has implications for understanding how microplastics spread antibiotic contamination through marine food webs.
Microplastics and antibiotics are two common pollutants in the ocean. However, due to changes of salinity and temperature in the ocean, their interaction are significantly different from that of fresh water, and the mechanism remains unclear. Here, the interactions of sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) and microplastics were studied at different temperatures and salinities. The saturation adsorption capacity of SMZ in polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), styrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and synthetic resins (ABS) were highest at the temperature of 20 °C, with 0.118 ± 0.002 mg·g-1, 0.106 ± 0.004 mg·g-1, 0.083 ± 0.002 mg·g-1, 0.062 ± 0.007 mg·g-1 and 0.056 ± 0.003 mg·g-1, respectively. The effect of temperature reduction is more significant than temperature rise. The intraparticle diffusion model is appropriate to PP, when film diffusion model suited for PS. The salinity has a more significant effect than temperature on different microplastics, due to the electrostatic adsorption and iron exchange. With the increase in salinity from 0.05% to 3.5%, the adsorption capacity of microplastics on SMZ fell by 53.3 ± 5%, and there was no discernible difference of various microplastics. The hydrogen bond and π-π conjugation of microplastics play an important role in the adsorption of SMZ. These findings further deepen the understanding of the interaction between microplastics and antibiotics in the marine environment.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
The fate and risk of microplastic and antibiotic sulfamethoxazole coexisting in the environment
Researchers investigated sulfamethoxazole antibiotic adsorption onto polyamide microplastics and found that pH significantly influenced uptake, with adsorbed antibiotics more readily released in natural water than ultrapure water, posing environmental risks.
Antibiotic sorption onto microplastics in water: A critical review of the factors, mechanisms and implications
This review critically examines the factors that influence how antibiotics attach to microplastics in water. Researchers found that environmental weathering can increase antibiotic absorption by up to 171%, while higher salinity can reduce it by up to 100%, with pH also playing a major role. The study highlights that microplastics serving as carriers of antibiotics could contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance, making this interaction an important environmental concern.
Selectively enrichment of antibiotics and ARGs by microplastics in river, estuary and marine waters
Researchers investigated how microplastics interact with antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes across river, estuary, and marine environments of varying salinity. They found that microplastics can concentrate both antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes from surrounding water, with this enrichment effect being strongest in freshwater and decreasing as salinity increases. The study raises concerns that microplastics may serve as vehicles for spreading antibiotic resistance in aquatic ecosystems.
Microplastics from surgical masks: A piggy-back ride for sulfamethoxazole in the sea
This study found that microplastics derived from surgical masks can act as carriers for the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole in seawater, with the drug adsorbing onto mask-derived plastic particles and potentially increasing its persistence and bioavailability in marine environments.
Sorption behavior of oxytetracycline on microplastics and the influence of environmental factors in groundwater: Experimental investigation and molecular dynamics simulation
This study examined how oxytetracycline antibiotic adsorbs onto different types of microplastics and how environmental factors such as pH, salinity, and UV exposure influence sorption behavior. The findings indicate microplastics can act as vectors transporting antibiotics through aquatic environments.