We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
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.
Microplastics (MPs) as the carrier of pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments have been concerned in recent years. However, the influences of environmental factors on the sorption of pharmaceuticals onto MPs, particularly the effect of the simultaneous sorption by MPs of different pharmaceuticals in multi-solute systems are still unclear. This study investigated the influences of pH, aging of MPs, and competition of pharmaceuticals on the sorptions of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), propranolol (PRP), and sertraline (SER) onto polyethylene MPs. In the 96 h pH-dependent experiments, the sorptions of the three pharmaceuticals were mainly driven by hydrophobic interaction. Besides, the ionization states of the three pharmaceuticals varied with the pH ranging from 2.00 to 12.00, and electrostatic interaction would affect the sorption affinities of the pharmaceuticals in different ionization states. In the aged MPs experiments, the MPs aged by UV irradiation showed a stronger sorption capacity than the pristine ones. Across the MPs under different UV irradiation durations, the 6 d aged MPs showed the highest sorption percentages of 23.0% and 17.6% for SER and PRP, respectively; for SMX, the highest sorption percentage of 5.4% was recorded with the 10 d aged MPs. In the multi-solute systems, the sorption kinetics of the three pharmaceuticals fit well with the pseudo-second-order model. The sorption quantities of the three pharmaceuticals onto MPs followed the order of SER cations (18.70 μg g) > SMX anions (7.83 μg g) > PRP cations (3.80 μg g) at pH 7.00. The good fitting of the Freundlich model suggested a multilayer sorption of the three pharmaceuticals onto MPs. The SER with higher hydrophobicity would preferentially be adsorbed onto MPs and influenced the subsequently sorption processes of the other pharmaceuticals via electrostatic interactions. This may change the environmental fate of the contaminants, which should be carefully considered in future work.
More Papers Like This
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.
Sorption of pharmaceuticals on the surface of microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested the ability of four common microplastic types to adsorb nine pharmaceutical compounds frequently found as water pollutants. They found that sorption involved both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, but under natural environmental conditions the binding was relatively weak. The study suggests that while microplastics can interact with pharmaceutical residues, their role as carriers of these contaminants in real aquatic environments may be more limited than previously assumed.
Adsorption of a diverse range of pharmaceuticals to polyethylene microplastics in wastewater and their desorption in environmental matrices
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics adsorb pharmaceuticals in municipal wastewater and release them in environmental and biological fluids. They found that drug adsorption depended heavily on the compound's charge and hydrophobicity, with cationic and hydrophobic drugs adsorbing most readily. The study suggests that microplastics could act as vectors for certain pharmaceuticals, potentially transporting them through waterways and into organisms.
Adsorption of a Mixture of Daily Use Pharmaceuticals on Pristine and Aged Polypropylene Microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined polypropylene microplastics as carriers for a mixture of daily-use pharmaceuticals including antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and other compounds under simulated environmental conditions. Polypropylene microplastics adsorbed all tested pharmaceuticals, with adsorption capacity and kinetics varying by compound, confirming that environmental microplastics can act as vectors concentrating multiple pharmaceutical contaminants simultaneously.
Assessing the adsorption of a diverse range of pharmaceuticals to virgin and aged poly (ethylene terephthalate) microplastics in different environmental matrices
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied the adsorption of a mixture of pharmaceuticals — including anti-inflammatory drugs diclofenac and ketoprofen, anti-hypertensive valsartan, and four antibiotics — onto both virgin and aged PET microplastics, providing the first multi-drug adsorption assessment on PET under realistic environmental conditions.
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.