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Microplastics as Potential Vector of Antibiotics in Aquatic Media: Environmental Implications
Summary
This review examined the role of microplastics as vectors for antibiotics in aquatic environments, highlighting how their small size, large surface area, and hydrophobicity enable them to concentrate organic pollutants. Co-exposure of microplastics and antibiotics can enhance bioaccumulation in organisms and amplify environmental risk.
Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles that have a particle size smaller than 5 mm [1] and, due to their low biodegradability, have gained the attention of the scientific community and regulatory authorities, thanks to their potential risks to organisms and ecosystems. Some studies [1–3] have reported that MPs, because of their small particle size, large specific surface area, and strong hydrophobicity, could adsorb and concentrate organic pollutants from the aquatic and soil media. Moreover, during the co-exposure of MPs and organic pollutants, MPs could transfer organic pollutants into organisms and promote their bioaccumulation [4].
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