Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Adsorption of the antimicrobial triclosan to microplastics impacts biofilm and planktonic microbial communities in freshwater

Researchers tested how triclosan—an antimicrobial compound—adsorbs to microplastics and what effect this has on microbial biofilm communities in freshwater. Triclosan-loaded microplastics shifted microbial community composition and increased abundance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in biofilms, demonstrating that microplastics acting as vectors for antimicrobials can restructure freshwater microbial ecosystems.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Biofilm formation strongly influences the vector transport of triclosan-loaded polyethylene microplastics

Researchers found that biofilm formation on polyethylene microplastics strongly influences their role as vectors for triclosan transport, with biofouled microplastics showing altered pollutant sorption capacity and different toxicity effects on Daphnia magna.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions between Microplastics, Biofilms, and Antimicrobials in Freshwater Streams

This research investigated how microplastics interact with antimicrobial compounds and microbial biofilms in freshwater streams. The study hypothesized that antimicrobials adsorbed onto microplastic surfaces would alter the diversity, composition, and antimicrobial resistance of colonizing microbial communities, examining multiple polymer types including acrylic and nylon in microcosm experiments.

2026 Loyola eCommons (Loyola University of Chicago)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as vectors of triclosan: relevance of the biofilm on Daphnia magna survival

Researchers evaluated polyethylene microplastics as vectors of triclosan (TCS) in Daphnia magna survival experiments, examining how biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces — simulating conditions downstream of wastewater treatment plants — modifies the adsorption and desorption of triclosan and consequently its toxicity to the zooplankton.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Bioaccessibility of Microplastic-Associated Antibiotics in Freshwater Organisms: Highlighting the Impacts of Biofilm Colonization via an In Vitro Protocol

Researchers found that biofilm colonization on microplastics significantly alters the bioaccessibility of associated antibiotics in freshwater organisms, with biofilms acting as reactive coatings that change how pollutants are released and taken up by aquatic life.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm formation on polyethylene microplastics and their role as transfer vector of emerging organic pollutants

This study examined how bacteria form biofilms on polyethylene microplastics and whether those biofilms help transport organic pollutants like common pharmaceuticals and pesticides. Researchers found that the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa readily colonized microplastics, and the presence of contaminants in the water altered biofilm characteristics. The findings suggest that microplastics in waterways may act as carriers that help spread pharmaceutical and chemical pollutants through aquatic environments.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastics on nutrients and metal concentrations in river sediments

Researchers investigated how microplastics influence nutrient and metal concentrations in river sediments, finding that microplastics alter the distribution of pollutants through their capacity to adsorb contaminants and support biofilm formation on their hydrophobic surfaces.

2020 Environmental Pollution 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics modulate triclosan abiotic methylation: Effects of polymer type and photoaging

Researchers investigated how 11 types of pristine and UV-aged microplastics alter the chemical transformation (methylation) of co-occurring triclosan in water, finding that polymer chemistry and photoaging both critically determine whether microplastics accelerate, inhibit, or have no effect on this reaction.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Microplastics influence the fate of antibiotics in freshwater environments: Biofilm formation and its effect on adsorption behavior

Researchers found that biofilm formation on microplastics in freshwater environments enhanced antibiotic adsorption by 24-51%, with potential pathogens detected in all biofilm communities across PVC, PA, and HDPE plastics.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 136 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions of microplastics and organic compounds in aquatic environments: A case study of augmented joint toxicity

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics interact with the antimicrobial compound triclosan in simulated environmental and cellular conditions. They found that surface-functionalized microplastics adsorbed significantly more triclosan and released it under cellular conditions, with the combination producing greater toxicity to human intestinal cells than either contaminant alone. The study suggests that microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of co-occurring organic pollutants.

2021 Chemosphere 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of biofilm formation on triclosan adsorption by UV-aged and pristine polystyrene microplastics in aquatic environments

Researchers investigated how biofilm formation on UV-aged versus pristine polystyrene microplastics affected triclosan adsorption, finding that biofilm-colonized aged microplastics had altered surface properties that changed triclosan uptake compared to unaged particles.

2025 Water Research X 2 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

The potential of microplastics acting as vector for triclosan in aquatic environments

This systematic review found that microplastics can act as vectors for triclosan (an antibacterial agent) in aquatic environments, transporting it across trophic levels through hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic forces. The co-occurrence of microplastics and triclosan amplifies their combined toxicity to aquatic organisms beyond their individual effects.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Macrolide Antibiotics and a Metabolite onto Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polyethylene Microplastics in Aquatic Environments

Researchers studied how four macrolide antibiotics and a metabolite adsorb onto polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene microplastics in water. They found that antibiotic adsorption followed a linear model, with PET showing higher adsorption capacity than polyethylene. The study suggests that microplastics in aquatic environments may serve as carriers for antibiotics, potentially affecting how these pharmaceutical pollutants are distributed in water systems.

2024 Antibiotics 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics play a minor role in tetracycline sorption in the presence of dissolved organic matter

Researchers studied the sorption of the antibiotic tetracycline onto microplastics in the presence of dissolved organic matter, finding that dissolved organics competed strongly for binding sites on microplastics, meaning real-world conditions substantially reduce microplastic uptake of tetracycline.

2018 Environmental Pollution 439 citations
Article Tier 2

In situ biofilm development on microplastics and its impact on PFAS adsorption in aquatic environment

Researchers deployed microplastics in a river system to allow natural biofilm colonization, then assessed how the resulting plastisphere affected PFAS adsorption. Biofilm formation substantially altered PFAS uptake onto microplastics, in some cases increasing adsorption, suggesting that biologically colonized microplastics behave as more effective PFAS carriers than virgin particles in natural water environments.

2025 Water Research
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-Associated Biofilms and Their Role in the Fate of Microplastics in Aquatic Environment

This review examines how microbial biofilms attached to microplastics in aquatic environments mediate the accumulation and transfer of chemical pollutants, exploring how the 'plastisphere' community influences the fate and ecotoxicological impact of microplastics and co-contaminants.

2025
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior of triclosan on microplastics and their combined acute toxicity to D. magna

Researchers studied how the antibacterial chemical triclosan attaches to different types of microplastics in water and tested their combined toxicity on water fleas. They found that triclosan readily adsorbed onto polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics, with the process influenced by water chemistry factors like pH and salt content. When water fleas were exposed to microplastics carrying triclosan, the combined toxicity was greater than from either contaminant alone.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of Biofilm Formation on the Fate and Potential Effects of Microplastic in the Aquatic Environment

Researchers reviewed how biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces affects the fate and potential ecological effects of microplastics in aquatic environments, finding that biofilms alter particle buoyancy, surface chemistry, and interactions with organisms.

2017 Environmental Science & Technology Letters 1318 citations
Article Tier 2

Physicochemical behavior and ecological risk of biofilm-mediated microplastics in aquatic environments

This review explores how biofilm formation on microplastics in water environments changes their physical and chemical behavior, potentially increasing their ecological risks. Researchers found that biofilm-coated microplastics more readily absorb pollutants and antibiotic resistance genes, and may disrupt gut microbiota in organisms that ingest them. The findings suggest that the biological aging of microplastics in nature makes them more dangerous than freshly produced particles.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of bioavailability of microplastic-sorbed tetracycline to bacteria for activation of antibiotic resistance genes in water environments

Researchers examined whether antibiotics adsorbed onto microplastics retain their biological activity against bacteria in water environments. They found that tetracycline bound to microplastic surfaces remained bioavailable enough to promote the activation of antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic bacteria. The study suggests that microplastics carrying adsorbed antibiotics may contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance in water systems rather than simply immobilizing the drugs.

2026 Aquatic Toxicology