Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Aging characteristics of degradable and non-biodegradable microplastics and their adsorption mechanism for sulfonamides

Researchers investigated how aging processes affect the ability of degradable and non-biodegradable microplastics to adsorb sulfonamide antibiotics in aquatic environments. The study found that aging increased the hydrophilicity and polarity of microplastics, boosting the adsorption capacity of polylactic acid by up to 3.18 times, suggesting that weathered microplastics may pose greater ecological risks as carriers of co-existing contaminants.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 53 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Aged Biodegradable Plastics and Antibiotics on the Conjugative Transfer of Antibiotic Resistance Genes Between Bacteria

This study examined how UV-aged microplastics from biodegradable PLA and conventional PET plastics, combined with the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole, affect the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria. Researchers found that aged microplastics promoted bacterial conjugation more than pristine particles, with PLA microplastics showing stronger effects, suggesting that even biodegradable plastics may increase the spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment.

2025 Sustainability 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic aging alters the adsorption-desorption behaviors of sulfamethoxazole in marine animals: A study in simulated biological liquids

Researchers tested how UV aging of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and polyethylene (PE) microplastics affects their adsorption and desorption of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole in simulated fish intestinal and mammalian stomach fluids. Aging increased adsorption capacity for sulfamethoxazole, while desorption in digestive fluids was higher for aged PHA than aged PE, with implications for antibiotic bioavailability in organisms that ingest microplastics.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of sequential UV-aging of microplastics on the fate of antibiotic (tetracycline) in riverine, estuarine, and marine systems

Researchers studied how sequential UV aging of polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene microplastics, which mimics natural weathering, affects their ability to adsorb the antibiotic tetracycline under different water chemistry conditions. They found that aged microplastics adsorbed significantly more tetracycline than pristine particles, with the effect varying by water type and plastic polymer. The study suggests that as microplastics weather in the environment, they may become increasingly effective at carrying antibiotic contaminants.

2025 Environmental Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

UV-photoaging of degradable microplastics in atmospheric and wastewater: Surface changes and enhanced antibiotic interaction

When biodegradable microplastics spend time in wastewater rather than open air, they age much more aggressively — developing biofilms and oxidized surfaces that dramatically increase their ability to absorb antibiotics. This study found that wastewater-aged polybutylene succinate microplastics adsorbed 2.4 times more tetracycline than fresh plastic, and outperformed air-aged plastic by 40%, driven by biofilm chemistry and increased surface area. The implication is that wastewater treatment systems — rather than solving the microplastic problem — may be transforming biodegradable plastics into potent carriers for antibiotic resistance.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Quantitative assessment of interactions of hydrophilic organic contaminants with microplastics in natural water environment

Researchers quantified how microplastics interact with common antibiotic pollutants in natural water conditions, comparing virgin and environmentally aged polystyrene particles. They found that aged microplastics absorbed significantly more antibiotics than new ones due to increased surface area and chemical changes from weathering. The study suggests that as microplastics age in the environment, they become more effective at concentrating and transporting other harmful pollutants.

2022 Water Research 91 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of levofloxacin by ultraviolet aging microplastics

Researchers studied how ultraviolet aging changes the ability of common microplastics to adsorb the antibiotic levofloxacin. The study found that UV-aged polystyrene, polyamide, and polyethylene microplastics all showed significantly enhanced adsorption capacity compared to their unaged counterparts, suggesting that weathered microplastics in the environment may carry higher pollutant loads.

2023 Chemosphere 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of microplastics and selected pharmaceuticals on red tilapia: Role of microplastic aging

Researchers compared how aged versus virgin polystyrene microplastics interact with the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole and the beta-blocker propranolol in red tilapia. They found that aged microplastics, which have rougher surfaces from UV weathering, adsorbed more pharmaceuticals and altered their bioavailability to the fish. The study demonstrates that environmental aging of microplastics changes their capacity to carry and release pharmaceutical contaminants in aquatic systems.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 135 citations
Article Tier 2

Roles of microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter on the photodegradation of organic micropollutants

Researchers discovered that dissolved organic matter released from weathered microplastics significantly inhibits the photodegradation of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole in water, primarily through light screening effects, suggesting microplastic pollution may slow the natural breakdown of pharmaceutical contaminants.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 120 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects and mechanisms of aged polystyrene microplastics on the photodegradation of sulfamethoxazole in water under simulated sunlight

Researchers found that aged polystyrene microplastics inhibited the photodegradation of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole in water, with inhibition increasing proportionally to the aging degree due to light-scattering effects and reactive oxygen species quenching.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 84 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the adsorption–desorption behavior of antibiotics by polybutylene succinate and polypropylene aged in different water conditions

Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter and salinity affect the aging of polybutylene succinate (PBS) and polypropylene (PP) microplastics and their subsequent adsorption-desorption of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole, finding that dissolved organic matter promoted aging more strongly than salinity, especially for the biodegradable PBS, and that aging altered antibiotic binding behavior.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Accelerated aging behavior of degradable and non-degradable microplastics via advanced oxidation and their adsorption characteristics towards tetracycline

Researchers compared how biodegradable polylactic acid and conventional polystyrene microplastics age when exposed to advanced oxidation processes, and how aging changes their ability to adsorb the antibiotic tetracycline. They found that polylactic acid degraded more quickly and developed more surface changes during aging, leading to increased antibiotic adsorption. The findings suggest that as biodegradable plastics break down in the environment, they may become more effective at concentrating and transporting chemical contaminants.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Behavior and mechanisms of ciprofloxacin adsorption on aged Polylactic Acid and Polyethylene microplastics

This study examined how aged polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene (PE) microplastics absorb the antibiotic ciprofloxacin in water. Aging changes the surface chemistry of microplastics, affecting how they pick up and carry antibiotics — which could deliver higher doses of these drugs to organisms that ingest the particles.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

UV-aging reduces the effects of biodegradable microplastics on soil sulfamethoxazole degradation and sul genes development

Researchers compared how two biodegradable microplastics, PBAT and PHA, affect the breakdown of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole and the development of antibiotic resistance genes in soil. The study found that virgin biodegradable microplastics increased dissolved organic carbon and altered antibiotic degradation rates, but UV aging reduced these effects. Evidence indicates that the environmental impact of biodegradable microplastics on soil antibiotic contamination depends on both plastic type and weathering state.

2024 Journal of Environmental Sciences 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior of levofloxacin hydrochloride on non‐degradable microplastics aging with H 2 O 2

This study explored how microplastics act as carriers for the antibiotic levofloxacin in water, finding that chemically aged plastics (simulating environmental weathering) adsorb significantly more of the drug than fresh plastics. All three plastics tested — PVC, polystyrene, and PET — showed increased drug-binding capacity after aging, primarily through pore-filling. This matters because microplastics in rivers and lakes don't just pose a physical hazard; they can pick up and concentrate pharmaceutical contaminants, potentially delivering them to aquatic organisms at higher doses.

2025 Water Environment Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Contrasting effects of phytoplankton aging on microplastic antibiotic adsorption depending on species tolerance, and biofouling level

Researchers studied how biological film growth on microplastics affects their ability to absorb antibiotics from water. The results varied depending on the type of microplastic and the species of algae forming the biofilm, explaining why previous studies found conflicting results. This matters because microplastics carrying absorbed antibiotics could spread antibiotic resistance through aquatic ecosystems.

2023 Water Research 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the Adsorption of Sulfamethoxazole by Degradable Microplastics Artificially Aged by Chemical Oxidation

Three types of microplastics were artificially aged by chemical oxidation and then tested for sulfamethoxazole antibiotic adsorption, with results showing that aging increased surface oxidation and enhanced antibiotic sorption capacity.

2021 Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of antibiotics onto aged microplastics in freshwater and seawater

Aged microplastics were found to sorb antibiotics from fresh and saltwater, with aging processes altering the surface properties of the plastic and increasing antibiotic binding capacity in some cases. The adsorption of antibiotics onto aged microplastics could facilitate their transport and delivery to aquatic organisms, potentially contributing to antibiotic resistance in environmental bacteria.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 273 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption/desorption behavior of degradable polylactic acid microplastics on bisphenol A under different aging conditions

Researchers studied how different types of UV-simulated aging affect the ability of polylactic acid microplastics to adsorb and release bisphenol A. The study found that aging conditions changed the surface properties of the biodegradable plastic, altering its interaction with this common environmental contaminant. The findings suggest that even biodegradable microplastics can act as carriers of harmful chemicals depending on their degradation state.

2024 New Journal of Chemistry 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behaviors and mechanisms of antibiotic norfloxacin on degradable and nondegradable microplastics

Researchers investigated how degradable and nondegradable microplastics adsorb the antibiotic norfloxacin, comparing polybutylene succinate with conventional plastics to understand the environmental behavior and interaction mechanisms between these co-occurring pollutants.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 215 citations
Article Tier 2

Implications of polystyrene and polyamide microplastics in the adsorption of sulfonamide antibiotics and their metabolites in water matrices

Researchers found that polystyrene and polyamide microplastics can absorb sulfonamide antibiotics from water, with smaller particles and acidic conditions increasing absorption significantly. This means microplastics in the environment can act as carriers for antibiotics, potentially spreading antimicrobial resistance. The finding raises concerns because people may be exposed to both microplastics and the drugs they carry through contaminated water and food.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation on the adsorption and desorption behaviors of antibiotics by degradable MPs with or without UV ageing process

Scientists compared how original and UV-aged polylactic acid (PLA) — a biodegradable plastic — adsorbs and desorbs the antibiotics tetracycline and ciprofloxacin relative to PVC, finding that UV aging changed PLA's surface more dramatically and increased its capacity to carry and release these drugs.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 416 citations
Article Tier 2

UV and chemical aging alter the adsorption behavior of microplastics for tetracycline

Researchers found that UV and chemical aging significantly increased microplastics' capacity to adsorb tetracycline, with biodegradable PBAT showing more dramatic changes in surface properties and adsorption behavior compared to conventional plastics like polystyrene and polyethylene.

2022 Environmental Pollution 135 citations