Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Mechanism of norfloxacin transformation by horseradish peroxidase and various redox mediated by humic acid and microplastics

Researchers explored how the enzyme horseradish peroxidase combined with natural redox mediators can transform the antibiotic norfloxacin in water, with microplastics and humic acid affecting the process. Certain plant-derived compounds enhanced antibiotic breakdown while microplastics slightly inhibited the reaction. This has implications for removing pharmaceutical pollutants from wastewater.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 7 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

Divergent responses of microalgal-bacterial granular sludge to two typical microplastics polystyrene and polybutylene succinate during the treatment of sulfamethoxazole-containing wastewater

This study tested how two types of microplastics, polystyrene and biodegradable polybutylene succinate, affected a biological wastewater treatment system designed to remove antibiotics. The biodegradable plastic actually helped break down the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole more effectively, while polystyrene slightly reduced the system's cleaning performance. The findings suggest that the type of microplastic present in wastewater can change how well treatment plants remove pharmaceutical pollutants.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of sulfamethoxazole using Fe-Mn biochar filtration columns: Influence of co-existing polystyrene microplastics

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics affect the removal of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole using iron-manganese modified biochar filtration columns. They found that the presence of microplastics significantly reduced antibiotic retention due to competitive sorption, with the effect varying depending on water pH. The study highlights that co-occurring microplastics in wastewater can interfere with contaminant removal systems, potentially allowing more antibiotics to pass through treatment processes.

2024 Journal of Cleaner Production 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of polystyrene microplastics on the degradation of sulfamethazine: The role of persistent free radicals

Polystyrene microplastics exposed to photoaging generated persistent free radicals on their surfaces, which then accelerated the breakdown of the antibiotic sulfamethazine in surrounding water. The study identifies a previously underappreciated chemical interaction in which aged plastic particles can transform co-occurring pharmaceutical pollutants.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-specific mediation of the physiological responses and degradation ability of microalgae to sulfamerazine by microplastics

Researchers examined how polystyrene microplastics of different sizes affect the ability of marine microalgae to tolerate and break down the antibiotic sulfamerazine. They found that nano-sized plastics were more harmful than larger particles, reducing algal growth and impairing the organisms' ability to degrade the antibiotic. The study reveals that microplastic pollution could interfere with the natural biological breakdown of pharmaceutical contaminants in waterways.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological Effects of Microplastics and Sulfadiazine on the Microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Researchers examined the combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic sulfadiazine on the freshwater microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The results suggest that both substances individually and in combination inhibited algal growth, and the interaction between microplastics and antibiotics may alter their respective toxic effects on aquatic organisms.

2022 Frontiers in Microbiology 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions between microplastics and organic contaminants: The microbial mechanisms for priming effects of organic compounds on microplastic biodegradation

This study found that the antibiotic sulfadiazine, when present alongside polyethylene microplastics in the environment, actually boosted the growth of bacteria capable of breaking down both the antibiotic and the plastic. Other common organic pollutants had a similar effect, suggesting that chemical contamination can unexpectedly speed up microplastic biodegradation through a "priming effect" on microbial communities.

2024 Water Research 20 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

Aging of Polystyrene Micro/Nanoplastics Enhances Cephalosporin Phototransformation via Structure-Sensitive Interfacial Hydrogen Bonding

Researchers found that aged polystyrene micro and nanoplastics significantly speed up the breakdown of common antibiotics (cephalosporins) in water when exposed to sunlight. The aged plastic surfaces generate reactive chemicals that attack the antibiotics, and the effect depends on how the antibiotic molecule binds to the plastic surface. This is important because it shows microplastics can actively change the chemical environment around them, potentially affecting how pollutants behave in waterways.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 26 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

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

Fates of extracellular and intracellular antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge and plastisphere under sulfadiazine pressure

Researchers found that microplastics in wastewater treatment systems act as reservoirs for antibiotic resistance genes, with the plastic surfaces (plastisphere) harboring more resistance genes than the surrounding sludge. When exposed to the antibiotic sulfadiazine, the spread of resistance genes on microplastic surfaces increased, and DNA from potential pathogens was detected. This suggests that microplastics leaving wastewater treatment plants could carry drug-resistant bacteria into waterways, posing a risk to public health.

2023 Water Research 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Performance and Mechanism of Sulfathiazole Adsorption by Magnetic Biochar: Promoting Effect of Co-existing Polystyrene and Simultaneous Removal

Researchers synthesized a magnetic biochar and tested its ability to remove the antibiotic sulfathiazole from water containing polystyrene microplastics, finding that the biochar achieved efficient removal of both contaminants simultaneously, with the microplastics actually promoting antibiotic adsorption.

2025
Article Tier 2

Insight into the effect of microplastics on photocatalytic degradation tetracycline by a dissolvable semiconductor-organic framework

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics affect the photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotic tetracycline using a novel semiconductor-organic framework catalyst. They found that small amounts of microplastics actually promoted tetracycline breakdown but also altered the degradation products and pathways. The study reveals that microplastics can interfere with water treatment processes in unexpected ways, both helping and hindering pollutant removal depending on conditions.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics on Multiple Tetracycline Removals by Ferrate

This study investigated how polystyrene microplastics affect the removal of antibiotics (tetracyclines) by ferrate water treatment. Fresh microplastics actually boosted antibiotic removal by nearly 30%, while weathered microplastics varied in their effect and heavily soaked microplastics reduced removal efficiency by up to 42%. These results show that microplastics can interfere with water treatment processes in complex ways, complicating the removal of pharmaceutical pollutants from drinking water sources.

2023 Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 11 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

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

Toxicological effects of microplastics and sulfadiazine on Artemia sinica

Researchers exposed the brine shrimp Artemia sinica to the antibiotic sulfadiazine and polystyrene microplastics individually and in combination, finding that all treatments reduced swimming speed and altered antioxidant capacity, with combined exposure producing exacerbated effects.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastic decomposition using heat-activated persulfate on antibiotic adsorption and environmental toxicity

Researchers found that when polyamide (nylon) microplastics were broken down using a chemical treatment called heat-activated persulfate, the roughened plastic surfaces actually absorbed more antibiotics from the water. While the treatment itself showed some promise for degrading microplastics, the treated water had negative effects on seed germination and marine organisms at higher concentrations. This highlights how microplastic cleanup methods need careful evaluation to avoid creating new environmental problems.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption-desorption behaviors of ciprofloxacin onto aged polystyrene fragments in aquatic environments

Researchers investigated how UV and chemical aging of polystyrene microplastic fragments affects their adsorption and desorption of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin in aquatic environments, finding that aging increased surface area and altered surface chemistry, thereby enhancing adsorption capacity. The study identified key physicochemical properties controlling antibiotic-microplastic interactions and their potential to affect antibiotic bioavailability in contaminated waters.

2023 Chemosphere 16 citations
Article Tier 2

[Characteristics of Microplastic-derived Dissolved Organic Matter(MPDOM) and the Complexation Between MPDOM and Sulfadiazine/Cu2].

This study examined dissolved organic matter released from aging PET and polystyrene microplastics and found that it can bind to both sulfadiazine (an antibiotic) and copper ions, potentially altering how these contaminants move through the environment. Aging microplastics release chemical compounds that interact with other pollutants, complicating the environmental behavior of both plastic and non-plastic contaminants in water and soil.

2023 PubMed
Article Tier 2

The impact of dissolved organic matter on the photodegradation of tetracycline in the presence of microplastics

Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter affects the photodegradation of the antibiotic tetracycline in the presence of polystyrene microplastics under simulated sunlight. The study found that both dissolved organic matter and microplastics enhanced tetracycline breakdown, but humic acid had the most pronounced accelerating effect regardless of whether microplastics were present.

2023 Chemosphere 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of polystyrene microplastics on levofloxacin removal by microalgae from freshwater aquaculture wastewater

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics inhibited Chlorella vulgaris growth and reduced its efficiency in removing the antibiotic levofloxacin from freshwater aquaculture wastewater, demonstrating that microplastic pollution can impair microalgae-based water treatment systems.

2021 Journal of Environmental Management 42 citations