Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics Alter the Distribution and Toxic Potential of Typical Pharmaceuticals in Aqueous Solutions: Mechanisms and Theory Calculations

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics interact with common pharmaceutical drugs in water and found that the plastics can absorb these medications, altering their distribution and potentially increasing environmental toxicity. The strength of absorption varied depending on the chemical properties of each drug, with some binding much more readily to microplastics than others. The findings highlight that microplastics may act as carriers for pharmaceutical pollutants, complicating efforts to assess water contamination risks.

2025 ACS ES&T Water 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The interaction mechanism of polystyrene microplastics with pharmaceuticals and personal care products

Computational chemistry methods including force field and density functional theory calculations were used to characterize how polystyrene microplastics interact with co-occurring pharmaceuticals and other organic water pollutants, revealing hydrophobic and pi-pi stacking interactions as dominant adsorption mechanisms. The modeling provides mechanistic insight into microplastics' role as vectors for organic contaminant transport in aquatic environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption Behavior of Diclofenac on Polystyrene and Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) Microplastics: Influencing Factors and Adsorption Mechanism

Researchers investigated the adsorption of the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac onto polystyrene and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) microplastics, finding that PS adsorbed more diclofenac than PBAT due to differences in surface chemistry and hydrophobicity. Understanding how pharmaceuticals bind to different plastic types is essential for assessing their combined environmental risks in aquatic systems.

2023 Langmuir 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging dominated effects of environmental microplastics on the sorption and toxic potential of typical pharmaceutical

This study examined how aging alters microplastic surface properties and their sorption of pharmaceuticals (including naproxen) and effects on aquatic toxicity. Aged MPs showed different sorption behavior and toxicity compared to pristine MPs, with aging-dominated effects shifting the risk profile of pharmaceutical-MP co-exposure.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Sorption of diclofenac by polystyrene microplastics: Kinetics, isotherms and particle size effects

Researchers investigated the sorption of the pharmaceutical diclofenac onto polystyrene microplastics of different sizes, finding that sorption capacity increased with particle size and was influenced by environmental factors such as pH, ionic strength, and dissolved organic matter.

2021 Chemosphere 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into the adsorption of ibuprofen onto polyethylene microplastics using molecular dynamic simulation

Researchers used molecular dynamics simulations combined with laboratory experiments to study how ibuprofen adsorbs onto polyethylene microplastics in water. The study found that van der Waals forces dominate the interaction, with microplastics achieving an adsorption capacity of 0.41 mg/g for ibuprofen, suggesting that microplastics can act as carriers for pharmaceutical pollutants in aquatic environments.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of Pharmaceuticals on Microplastics

This review examines the sorption of pharmaceuticals onto microplastics in aquatic environments, analyzing how polymer type, particle size, surface area, polarity, and pharmaceutical properties such as log Kow and pKa influence sorption behavior, and how weathering and aging processes increase sorption capacity by altering microplastic surface chemistry and topography.

2022 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of two common antihypertensive drugs onto polystyrene microplastics in water matrices

Researchers examined the sorption of two common antihypertensive drugs onto polystyrene microplastics in water, finding that microplastics can adsorb pharmaceutical compounds and may serve as vectors for drug transport in aquatic environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption and desorption of selected pharmaceuticals by polyethylene microplastics

Researchers tested the sorption and desorption of three pharmaceuticals — sulfamethoxazole, propranolol, and sertraline — onto polyethylene microplastics in water, finding that all three compounds sorbed to the plastic surface and were only partially released over time. The results suggest microplastics can act as vectors for pharmaceutical compounds in aquatic environments, potentially affecting their bioavailability.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 284 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of three common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to microplastics

This study investigated the adsorption of three common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) onto microplastics, finding that polymer type, drug properties, and environmental conditions all influenced sorption capacity. The results suggest microplastics can act as vectors for pharmaceutical contaminants in aquatic environments.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 178 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of pharmaceuticals on the surface of microplastics

Researchers tested the ability of four common microplastic types to adsorb nine pharmaceutical compounds frequently found as water pollutants. They found that sorption involved both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, but under natural environmental conditions the binding was relatively weak. The study suggests that while microplastics can interact with pharmaceutical residues, their role as carriers of these contaminants in real aquatic environments may be more limited than previously assumed.

2020 Chemosphere 169 citations
Article Tier 2

Surface Functionalities of Polymers for Biomaterial Applications

This study examined how microplastic pollution interacts with pharmaceutical contaminants in freshwater, finding that polystyrene microplastics enhanced the uptake and toxicity of diclofenac in zebrafish embryos. The combined effect was greater than predicted from single-contaminant dose-response curves.

2022 Polymers 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of a diverse range of pharmaceuticals to polyethylene microplastics in wastewater and their desorption in environmental matrices

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics adsorb pharmaceuticals in municipal wastewater and release them in environmental and biological fluids. They found that drug adsorption depended heavily on the compound's charge and hydrophobicity, with cationic and hydrophobic drugs adsorbing most readily. The study suggests that microplastics could act as vectors for certain pharmaceuticals, potentially transporting them through waterways and into organisms.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 94 citations
Article Tier 2

Pharmaceuticals and micro(nano)plastics in the environment: Sorption and analytical challenges

This review examines how pharmaceutical residues and micro- and nanoplastics interact in water environments, finding that microplastics can adsorb medications and alter their environmental behavior. Factors like plastic type, surface area, and biological film growth all influence these interactions, but very few studies have been conducted under real-world conditions. The authors highlight persistent analytical challenges and the need for field-based research to understand actual risks.

2024 Trends in Environmental Analytical Chemistry 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics physicochemical properties, specific adsorption modeling and their interaction with pharmaceuticals and other emerging contaminants

This review examines how microplastics interact with pharmaceutical residues in aquatic environments, covering adsorption mechanisms, degradation pathways, and combined toxicity effects. Researchers analyzed mathematical modeling approaches for predicting how microplastics and pharmaceuticals associate under different environmental conditions. The study highlights that microplastics can alter the environmental fate of pharmaceutical contaminants, creating combined pollution risks for ecosystems and public health.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 153 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms of Sorption of Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products to Microplastics

This thesis investigated how pharmaceutical and personal care product chemicals sorb onto high-density polyethylene microplastic fragments, and how this affects the combined toxicity to aquatic organisms. Microplastics can carry drug compounds and personal care chemicals from wastewater into aquatic environments, concentrating pollutant exposure for marine organisms.

2021 1 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

Microplastic–Pharmaceuticals Interaction in Water Systems

This review examined the interactions between microplastics and pharmaceutical compounds in aquatic environments, exploring how microplastics act as vectors that concentrate, transport, and potentially enhance the bioavailability and toxicity of drug residues in water.

2023 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Mini Review on Recent Advances of the Adsorption Mechanism Between Microplastics and Emerging Contaminants for Conservation of Water

This mini-review examines the adsorption mechanisms between microplastics and emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, highlighting how physicochemical properties like hydrophobicity and pH influence pollutant uptake onto different polymer types. The review synthesizes recent advances relevant to understanding how microplastics act as vectors for pharmaceutical contaminants in aquatic environments.

2023 International Journal of Conservation Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Diclofenac Sodium by Aged Degradable and Non-Degradable Microplastics: Environmental Effects, Adsorption Mechanisms

Researchers found that UV aging of both polystyrene and biodegradable PBAT microplastics increased their surface oxidation and hydrophilicity, enhancing their capacity to adsorb the pharmaceutical pollutant diclofenac sodium through surface interaction and pore-filling mechanisms.

2022 Toxics 21 citations