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Evaluation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and clarithromycin (CLA) adsorption with weathered PVC microplastics
Summary
Researchers found that weathered PVC microplastics can adsorb the antibiotics ciprofloxacin and clarithromycin, with adsorption behavior best described by the Freundlich isotherm model, suggesting that aged microplastics may facilitate the transport of pharmaceutical contaminants in aquatic environments.
The sorption kinetics of two of the most frequently used antibiotics onto recycled (weathered) polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was investigated, using Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models. Various experimental conditions were set, including pH, contact time, rotational speed, temperature, and initial concentration. The batch experimental results indicated that Freundlich model was better fitted than Langmuir (R2: 98.7 and 84.7, for CIP and CLA respectively). Maximum adsorption capacity is 45.9 mg/g and 22.0 mg/g for CIP and CLA, respectively. Enthalpy (ΔH), and entropy (ΔS) values were negative for CIP, indicating that the reaction was exothermic and spontaneous, respectively. It was vice versa for CLA. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR) analysis confirmed the physical adsorption mechanism. The results demonstrated that the recycled PVC microplastic has a good capacity for adsorption for both antibiotics.