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Investigation of the Adsorption of Norfloxacin by Biodegradable and Non-biodegradable Microplastics Aged by Chemical Oxidation
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Researchers chemically aged three types of microplastics—biodegradable PLA, PET, and polypropylene—and found that aging significantly increased their capacity to adsorb norfloxacin antibiotic, with aged PLA showing the greatest enhancement due to increased surface area and roughness. These results show that environmentally weathered microplastics act as more effective vectors for antibiotic transport in water systems, potentially worsening co-contamination risks for aquatic life and human health.
The combined pollution of microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics in the water environment has received much attention in the past decade. MPs are often considered ideal adsorption carriers for organic matter (OM) in the water environment. Meanwhile, mechanical wear and ultraviolet radiation will make MPs age and enhance the adsorption of OM on MPs. In this study, biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA), non-biodegradable polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polypropylene (PP) were aged by K2S2O8 advanced oxidation. The adsorption behavior of MPs before and after aging to norfloxacin antibiotic (NOR) was studied. Results showed that the surface of MPs after aging had cracked and become rougher. The aged PLA was the most changed among the three kinds of aged MPs, and its specific surface area, equilibrium, and saturated adsorption capacity of aged PLA reached 15.826 m2/g, 1.184 mg/g, and 15.241 mg/g, respectively. Most of the adsorption of NOR on pristine and aged MPs was more aligned with the pseudo-first-order. The NOR was multiple adsorptions on the surface of aged PLA and aged PET, while it was monolayer adsorption on the surface of aged PP. In addition, it was different for the effect of pH, salinity, and dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the adsorption of NOR on different MPs. These results suggested that the chemical aging of MPs can enhance the adsorption capacity of MPs to NOR and promote the carrier effect of it to NOR.
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Adsorption behaviors and mechanisms of azithromycin on degradable and non-degradable microplastics aged with UV/sodium percarbonate
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Scientists found that when microplastics (both regular plastic and "eco-friendly" biodegradable plastic) get weathered by sunlight and cleaning chemicals used in wastewater treatment, their surfaces become rougher and chemically altered, making them up to 4 times better at soaking up azithromycin, a common antibiotic that surged in use during COVID-19. This matters because these antibiotic-loaded microplastics could act as carriers, potentially transporting drugs through water systems and the environment in ways that aren't fully understood yet, including possibly contributing to antibiotic resistance or human exposure down the line.
Interaction Between Polyurethane Microplastics and Ciprofloxacin: A Study on Adsorption Behaviour and Ecological Implications
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Polyurethane microplastics demonstrate significant adsorption capacity for the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, suggesting that plastic particles in aquatic environments can act as vectors for pharmaceutical pollutants. This interaction raises ecological concerns about the combined toxicity of microplastic-antibiotic complexes in waterways and their potential impacts on aquatic organisms and antimicrobial resistance.
Interaction Between Polyurethane Microplastics and Ciprofloxacin: A Study on Adsorption Behaviour and Ecological Implications
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Polyurethane microplastics adsorb the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, creating combined pollutant complexes with potential ecological implications for aquatic environments. This interaction highlights how microplastics can serve as carriers for toxic co-contaminants, amplifying environmental risks beyond what either pollutant poses alone.
The Sorption of Amoxicillin on Engineered Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastics
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Aged PET microplastics derived from beach-collected bottles adsorbed significantly more amoxicillin antibiotic than unaged lab-produced microplastics due to increased surface area and hydrogen bonding interactions between the antibiotic and polymer ester groups. These findings confirm that weathered microplastics act as vectors for antibiotic transport in aquatic environments, potentially spreading pharmaceutical contamination far from its original source.
Adsorption of Tylosin and Tetracycline onto Microplastics: Behavior and Effects of Adsorbents and Salinity
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Batch adsorption experiments showed that polyethylene, polystyrene, and PVC microplastics can adsorb the antibiotics tylosin and tetracycline, with PVC showing the highest adsorption capacity and salinity enhancing tylosin uptake through a salting-out effect. This confirms that environmental microplastics act as mobile carriers for antibiotic pollutants, potentially spreading antimicrobial resistance to new ecosystems and amplifying the health risks of plastic pollution.
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