Photoaging processes of polyvinyl chloride microplastics enhance the adsorption of tetracycline and facilitate the formation of antibiotic resistance. (April 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tian, Yajun; Zhu, Jianyu; Ying, Chuhan; Luo, Hongwei; Zhang, Shoufeng; Zhang, Liqiu; Li, Renna; Li, Jun
• Is Part Of: Chemosphere. Volume 320(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-04
• Subjects: Microplastics -- Photoaging processes -- Antibiotics -- Adsorption -- Antibiotic resistance; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Physiological effect -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Atmospheric chemistry -- Periodicals; 551.511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.137820
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-6535

Abstract

Abstract: Microplastics (MPs), antibiotics and microorganism ubiquitously coexist in aquatic environments. MPs inevitably undergo photoaging processes in aquatic environments, affecting the interactions between MPs and antibiotics and the antibiotic resistance of microorganism. In this study, the impact of photoaging processes of MPs on their adsorption behavior of tetracycline (TC) and related formation of antibiotic resistance were investigated. It was found that the photoaging processes significantly increased the adsorption capacity of TC onto MPs, with the Q e increasing from 0.387 to 0.507 mg/g at 288 K and from 0.507 to 0.688 mg/g at 308 K. The site energy distribution (SED) analysis further confirmed that the enhanced adsorption capacity was attributed to more high-energy adsorption sites acquired from MPs photoaging processes. Moreover, the enhanced adsorption of TC further facilitated the formation of seven antibiotic resistance genes (i.e., tetA, tetB, tetC, tetD, tetE, tetG, tetK ) when MPs adsorbed with TC was covered by biofilm. This study helps comprehensively understand the environmental behaviors of co-existing MPs, antibiotics and microorganisms, providing a theoretical basis for evaluating and mitigating their coexistence risks. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: The photoaging processes altered the physiochemical properties of MPs. The aging processes increased the adsorption capacity of TC onto MPs. More high-energy sites on aged PVC MPs resulted in a higher adsorption capability. The enhanced adsorption of TC further facilitated the formation of antibiotic resistance. The photoaging processes of MPs increase their risk of carrying pathogenic bacteria.