Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Combined effects of oxytetracycline and microplastic on wheat seedling growth and associated rhizosphere bacterial communities and soil metabolite profiles

Researchers examined how the antibiotic oxytetracycline combined with polyethylene microplastics affects wheat seedling growth and soil microbial communities. They found that high concentrations of the antibiotic combined with microplastics significantly reduced seedling growth and altered the bacterial communities around the roots. The study reveals that the co-presence of antibiotics and microplastics in agricultural soils may create compounding negative effects on crop health.

2022 Environmental Pollution 109 citations
Article Tier 2

Stress response to oxytetracycline and microplastic-polyethylene in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) during seed germination and seedling growth stages

Researchers investigated the combined effects of the antibiotic oxytetracycline and polyethylene microplastics on wheat seed germination and seedling growth. The study found that while oxytetracycline caused direct toxicity to plant growth, the presence of microplastics modified the antibiotic's effects in complex ways, reprogramming metabolic profiles in wheat leaves differently than either contaminant alone.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and co-pollutant with ciprofloxacin affect interactions between free-floating macrophytes

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics and ciprofloxacin co-pollutants altered competitive interactions between free-floating macrophytes, with combined exposure affecting plant growth and physiological responses differently than individual pollutant exposure.

2022 Environmental Pollution 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of co-loading of polyethylene microplastics and ciprofloxacin on the antibiotic degradation efficiency and microbial community structure in soil

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin together affect soil microbial communities and antibiotic degradation. The study found that co-loading of microplastics with antibiotics altered microbial community structure and affected the rate of antibiotic degradation in soil, suggesting microplastic contamination may influence how soils process pharmaceutical pollutants.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 142 citations
Article Tier 2

Aged microplastics enhance their interaction with ciprofloxacin and joint toxicity on Escherichia coli

Researchers found that aged microplastics showed enhanced adsorption of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin compared to pristine particles, and that their combined exposure produced greater toxicity to E. coli at the molecular level than either pollutant alone.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined contamination of microplastic and antibiotic alters the composition of microbial community and metabolism in wheat and maize rhizosphere soil

A study found that when soil is contaminated with both microplastics and antibiotics together, the damage to wheat and maize seedlings is worse than from either contaminant alone, with increased root oxidative stress and disrupted soil bacterial communities. This combined contamination, common in agricultural soils treated with plastic mulch and livestock manure, could affect crop health and food quality.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 44 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of single and combined pollution of PE microplastics and antibiotics in soil on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings

This study examined the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and antibiotic exposure on soil organisms, finding that mixture exposure altered soil microbial community structure and promoted antibiotic resistance gene abundance more than either stressor alone. Co-exposure to microplastics and antibiotics poses compounded risks for soil microbiomes.

2024
Article Tier 2

Integrated Effects of Polyamide Microplastics and Three Abundant Antimicrobials and Reclaimed Water On The Growth of Lettuce and Soil Bacterial Communities

Researchers investigated the combined effects of polyamide microplastics and three common antimicrobials -- sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and triclosan -- alongside reclaimed water irrigation on lettuce growth and soil bacterial community composition. The study examined how simultaneous exposure to microplastics and pharmaceutical contaminants alters soil microbial ecology in agricultural settings.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

pH-Dependent Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics on Ciprofloxacin Toxicity and Uptake by Lolium perenne L.

This study found that pH strongly influences the combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin on ryegrass, with neutral and alkaline conditions increasing both MP surface charge and antibiotic uptake by plants, raising concerns for agricultural soils.

2025 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in soil can increase nutrient uptake by wheat

Researchers found that microplastics in soil can increase nutrient uptake by wheat by stimulating microbial activity and altering root interactions, suggesting microplastics may disrupt natural nutrient-cycling strategies in agricultural systems.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 98 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of heavy metals on the adsorption of ciprofloxacin on polyethylene microplastics: Mechanism and toxicity evaluation

Researchers studied how heavy metals in water affect the ability of polyethylene microplastics to absorb the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. They found that heavy metals competed with the antibiotic for binding sites on the microplastic surface, changing how much of each pollutant the plastic could carry. This is important because it shows microplastics in real-world environments may transport different combinations of pollutants, potentially delivering both antibiotics and heavy metals into the food chain.

2023 Chemosphere 83 citations
Article Tier 2

pH-dependent effects of polystyrene microplastics on ciprofloxacin toxicity and uptake by ryegrass

This study found that the antibiotic ciprofloxacin accumulates more readily in plant shoots (leaves) under alkaline conditions, and that polystyrene microplastics at neutral and basic pH significantly worsen growth inhibition in ryegrass. The findings matter because much agricultural water and soil is neutral to slightly alkaline, meaning microplastic-antibiotic co-contamination may pose a greater risk to food crops than previously recognized.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Impact of polystyrene microplastics with combined contamination of norfloxacin and sulfadiazine on Chrysanthemum coronarium L.

Researchers examined the single and combined effects of polystyrene microplastics, norfloxacin, and sulfadiazine on the medicinal food crop Chrysanthemum coronarium. The study found that combined exposure altered nutrient element accumulation and caused ultrastructural damage to plant cells, suggesting that the co-occurrence of microplastics and antibiotics in soil may pose compounded threats to crop safety.

2022 Environmental Pollution 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxic effects of enrofloxacin and microplastics on submerged plants and epiphytic biofilms in high nitrogen and phosphorus waters

Researchers studied the combined effects of the antibiotic enrofloxacin and microplastics on the submerged plant Myriophyllum verticillatum in nutrient-rich water. The study found that while microplastics alone had little effect, their combination with enrofloxacin produced synergistic toxic effects, reducing the plant's ability to absorb nitrogen and phosphorus and decreasing photosynthetic pigment content.

2022 Chemosphere 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic effects of microplastics and ciprofloxacin co-contamination on arsenic bioaccumulation and microbial dysbiosis in rice soils: Implications for multi-pollutant agroecosystem risks

Researchers studied how microplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin together affect arsenic accumulation in rice plants and soil microbial communities. They found that the combination of these pollutants significantly increased arsenic uptake by rice seedlings and disrupted beneficial soil bacteria more than any single contaminant alone. The study warns that the co-occurrence of microplastics, antibiotics, and heavy metals in agricultural soils could amplify food safety risks.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of polyamide microplastic and sulfamethoxazole in modulating the growth and transcriptome profile of hydroponically grown rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Researchers studied the combined effects of polyamide microplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole on rice seedlings irrigated with reclaimed wastewater, testing single and combined exposures at multiple concentrations. Results showed interactions between microplastics and the antibiotic that affected seedling growth and uptake of the contaminants.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Uncovering the intricate relationship between plant nutrients and microplastics in agroecosystems

A study of wheat grown in soils with varying microplastic levels found complex interactions between MPs and plant macronutrients and micronutrients, with MPs altering nutrient uptake in ways that could affect crop productivity in contaminated agricultural soils.

2023 Chemosphere 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Aged polyethylene microplastics modulate herbicide and antibiotic bioavailability and plant responses: a case study with glyphosate and tetracycline

Researchers generated experimental data on how aged polyethylene microplastics affect the behavior of the herbicide glyphosate and the antibiotic tetracycline in hydroponic plant growth systems. The dataset includes measurements of pollutant sorption, plant photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant enzyme activity in rapeseed plants exposed to various combinations of microplastics and chemicals. The study suggests that microplastics can modulate how other environmental contaminants interact with plants.

2026 RepOD
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastics on Ciprofloxacin Adsorption Dynamics and Mechanisms in Soil

Researchers investigated how microplastics affect the adsorption dynamics and mechanisms of ciprofloxacin (an antibiotic) in soil, finding that microplastics competed with soil particles for antibiotic binding and altered the overall fate and mobility of ciprofloxacin in the soil environment.

2025 Toxics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Do Microplastics in Soil Influence the Bioavailability of Sulfamethoxazole to Plants?

Researchers investigated how three types of microplastics affect the availability and toxicity of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole in soil using sorghum plants. They found that low concentrations of the antibiotic actually stimulated plant growth, while higher concentrations inhibited it, and the presence of microplastics generally reduced the antibiotic's toxicity. The study highlights that microplastics in agricultural soils can alter how pharmaceutical contaminants behave, with polystyrene having the strongest effect on drug availability.

2025 Plants 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/nanoplastics: Critical review of their impacts on plants, interactions with other contaminants (antibiotics, heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and management strategies

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics harm plants, both alone and in combination with other pollutants like antibiotics, heavy metals, and hydrocarbons. The combined exposure often worsens the damage, including inhibited growth, reduced seed germination, and genetic toxicity. The review also explores strategies to reduce this plant damage, which matters for food safety since contaminated crops are a route for microplastics to reach humans.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 83 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Microplastics on the Growth, Physiology, and Biochemical Characteristics of Wheat (Triticum aestivum)].

Wheat seedlings were grown in soils spiked with 100 nm and 5 μm polystyrene microplastics, with high concentrations (200 mg/L) significantly inhibiting root and stem elongation, reducing chlorophyll, and altering antioxidant enzyme activity, with smaller nanoplastics showing greater toxicity. The findings demonstrate that microplastic size influences phytotoxicity in a major agricultural crop.

2019 PubMed 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of co-exposure of antibiotic and microplastic on the rhizosphere microenvironment of lettuce seedlings

Researchers examined how the combination of antibiotics and polyethylene microplastics in agricultural soil affects lettuce seedling growth and the microbial community around plant roots. They found that combined exposure altered soil bacterial diversity, changed the chemical profile of root-zone metabolites, and affected nutrient cycling differently than either contaminant alone. The study highlights the compounding environmental risks when antibiotics from animal manure and microplastics from plastic films co-exist in farmland soils.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Aged polyethylene microplastics modulate herbicide and antibiotic bioavailability and plant responses: A case study with glyphosate and tetracycline

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles commonly found in farm soil can stick to plant roots and change how plants absorb harmful chemicals like pesticides and antibiotics. The plastic pieces made plants more stressed and damaged, reducing important nutrients like chlorophyll by 30%. This matters because it could affect the safety and quality of the food we eat, since these plastic particles are becoming more common in agricultural areas where our crops are grown.

2026 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety