Papers

20 results
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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

Mechanistic insight into different adsorption of norfloxacin on microplastics in simulated natural water and real surface water

This study compared the adsorption of norfloxacin antibiotic onto microplastics in simulated natural water versus real surface water, finding that natural organic matter and competing ions in real water significantly reduced antibiotic uptake by microplastics.

2021 Environmental Pollution 81 citations
Article Tier 2

New insights into adsorption mechanism of pristine and weathered polyamide microplastics towards hydrophilic organic compounds

Adsorption of four hydrophilic organic compounds including antibiotics sulfamethoxazole and ciprofloxacin onto pristine and weathered polyamide microplastics was studied, finding that weathering introduced oxygen-containing surface groups that significantly altered adsorption capacity and mechanisms. The results improve predictions of how microplastics transport co-occurring pollutants in aquatic environments.

2022 Environmental Pollution 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of sulfamethoxazole onto six types of microplastics

This study investigated the sorption of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole onto six types of microplastics, finding that sorption capacity depended on polymer type and that polyamide showed the highest uptake.

2019 Chemosphere 329 citations
Article Tier 2

Desorption of sulfamethoxazole from polyamide 6 microplastics: Environmental factors, simulated gastrointestinal fluids, and desorption mechanisms

Researchers examined the adsorption of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) onto polyamide 6 microplastics and the desorption behavior under different environmental conditions including simulated seawater, gastric fluid, and intestinal fluid, finding that desorption was significantly higher in gastrointestinal fluids than in aqueous environments. The results suggest that organisms ingesting antibiotic-loaded polyamide microplastics may experience higher internal antibiotic exposure than previously estimated.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Deciphering the interaction of sulfamethoxazole with biodegradable versus conventional, virgin versus aged microplastics in aquatic environment

Researchers compared how biodegradable and conventional microplastics interact with the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole in water, both before and after UV aging. They found that biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics had the highest capacity to absorb the antibiotic, and that aging generally increased absorption for all plastic types. The study suggests that microplastics in waterways may act as carriers for pharmaceutical pollutants, with biodegradable plastics potentially posing a greater transport risk than conventional ones.

2025 Journal of Environmental Sciences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of antibiotics on microplastics

This study examined the adsorption of antibiotics onto different microplastic types, finding that sorption capacity depended on both the antibiotic's chemical properties and the plastic's surface characteristics, with implications for antibiotic transport in aquatic environments.

2018 Environmental Pollution 1314 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction behaviors of sulfamethoxazole and microplastics in marine condition: Focusing on the synergistic effects of salinity and temperature

This study found that microplastics in ocean water readily absorb the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole, but the amount absorbed drops sharply as salinity increases — with seawater conditions reducing uptake by over 50% compared to fresh water. The findings reveal that in realistic marine conditions, the dynamics of antibiotic-microplastic interactions differ substantially from freshwater lab studies, which has implications for understanding how microplastics spread antibiotic contamination through marine food webs.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 14 citations
Article Tier 2

The Sword of Damocles: Microplastics and the molecular dynamics of sulfamonomethoxine revealed

Researchers studied how three types of microplastics interact with the antibiotic sulfamonomethoxine in water using molecular dynamics simulations and laboratory experiments. They found that polyamide had the strongest adsorption capacity while polyethylene terephthalate formed the most stable bonds with the antibiotic. The findings help explain how different microplastics can act as carriers for pharmaceutical pollutants in aquatic environments.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption behavior of oxytetracycline on microplastics and the influence of environmental factors in groundwater: Experimental investigation and molecular dynamics simulation

This study examined how oxytetracycline antibiotic adsorbs onto different types of microplastics and how environmental factors such as pH, salinity, and UV exposure influence sorption behavior. The findings indicate microplastics can act as vectors transporting antibiotics through aquatic environments.

2024 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of selected pharmaceutical compounds on polyethylene microplastics: Roles of pH, aging, and competitive sorption

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.

2022 Chemosphere 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microplastics and their interaction with antibiotics in wastewater

Researchers characterized microplastics in wastewater and investigated their interactions with antibiotics, examining how microplastic surfaces adsorb antibiotic compounds and the implications for antibiotic transport and dissemination in wastewater treatment systems.

2025 e_Buah
Article Tier 2

The sorption kinetics and isotherms of sulfamethoxazole with polyethylene microplastics

The sorption of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole onto polyethylene microplastics was well described by pseudo-second-order kinetics and Freundlich isotherms, with the process controlled by partitioning into the polymer matrix. The study demonstrates that microplastics can accumulate antibiotics from seawater, raising concerns about contributing to antibiotic resistance through environmental spread of these compounds.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 278 citations
Article Tier 2

Do microplastics affect sulfamethoxazole sorption in soil? Experiments on polymers, ionic strength and fulvic acid

Researchers investigated how microplastics affect the sorption of sulfamethoxazole antibiotic in soil, finding that polystyrene microplastics increased antibiotic adsorption rates but reduced equilibrium adsorption capacity, with ionic strength and fulvic acid further modifying the interaction in complex soil environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 39 citations
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

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

Adsorption interactions between typical microplastics and enrofloxacin: Relevant contributions to the mechanism

This study investigated how common microplastics (polyethylene, PVC, and polystyrene) absorb the antibiotic enrofloxacin from the environment. The researchers found that microplastics can effectively bind antibiotics through multiple chemical mechanisms, with the strength of binding depending on water conditions like acidity. This is concerning because microplastics carrying antibiotics could transport them into the food chain, potentially contributing to antibiotic resistance and affecting human health.

2024 Chemosphere 65 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A critical review of the adsorption-desorption characteristics of antibiotics on microplastics and their combined toxic effects

This systematic review examines how microplastics absorb and release antibiotics in the environment, and the combined toxic effects of this interaction. When microplastics carrying antibiotics are ingested by living organisms, they may promote antibiotic resistance and cause greater harm than either pollutant alone, which is a growing concern for human health.

2024 Environmental Technology & Innovation 58 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

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