Sorption of antibiotics onto aged microplastics in freshwater and seawater

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin 2019-12, Vol.149, p.110511-110511, Article 110511
• Main Authors: Guo, Xuan, Wang, Jianlong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorption; Aged microplastics; Ageing; Aging; Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Antibiotics; Cephalosporin C; Cephalosporins - chemistry; Chemical analysis; China; Computer simulation; Electrostatic properties; Environmental impact; Fresh Water - chemistry; Freshwater; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Hydrophobicity; Inland water environment; Isotherms; Kinetics; Microplastics; Microplastics - chemistry; Polyethylene; Polyethylene - chemistry; Polyethylenes; Polymers; Polystyrene; Polystyrene resins; Polystyrenes - chemistry; Seawater; Seawater - chemistry; Sorption; Static Electricity; Sulfamethazine; Sulfamethazine - chemistry; Sulfamethoxazole; Sulfamethoxazole - chemistry; Time Factors; Water analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110511

Microplastics in environments undergo aging processes and may sorb antibiotics from surrounding water. Understanding the interaction between aged microplastics and antibiotics is important to assess the impact of microplastics on environments. In this paper, the sorption of three typical antibiotics, i.e., sulfamethoxazole (SMX), sulfamethazine (SMT), and cephalosporin C (CEP-C) onto the naturally aged microplastics (polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene (PE)) derived from aged plastics samples from the coast of East China Sea and Yellow Sea, China in freshwater and simulated seawater systems were studied. The results indicated that the mixed order (MO) model provided good prediction for the kinetics data. The linear isotherm represented adequately the sorption equilibrium data in freshwater. The Kd values ranged from 0.0236 L·g−1 to 0.0383 L·g−1. In simulated seawater, only CEP-C could be sorbed onto the microplastics. The main sorption mechanisms are hydrophobic, van der Waals, and electrostatic interactions. [Display omitted] •Aged plastics were collected from the coast of East China Sea and Yellow Sea, China.•The sorption of three antibiotics onto the aged microplastics (PS, PE) was studied.•The kinetics and isotherm of antibiotics sorption by microplastics were examined.•Sorption mechanisms are hydrophobic, van der Waals, and electrostatic interactions.