How Microplastics Help Antibiotics Travel in Groundwater

You’ve probably heard that microplastics (MPs) are bad for the environment, but did you know they also help antibiotics move around in groundwater? This happens because MPs can carry antibiotics like oxytetracycline (OTC) as they journey through soil and surface water. According to research, this means that antibiotics can spread even further and cause more harm to ecosystems. Scientists looked into how four common types of microplastics – polyamide (PA), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene (PE) – soak up OTC in groundwater. They used both experiments and computer simulations to figure this out. The plastics tag “teamed up” with OTC in different ways. Polyamide, for example, was the best at snatching OTC away. This is because the amide groups in polyamide form special hydrogen bonds with OTC. It’s like a super-tight handshake! Other factors also played a role. The pH of the water affected how OTC stuck to the plastics by changing the shape of OTC. Organic substances like dissolved proteins and humus could block the OTC from sticking to the plastics. Ions in the water could compete with OTC for space on the plastics or even form special combinations with OTC. So, what do these findings mean? Well, understanding how microplastics and antibiotics interact helps scientists figure out how to clean up contaminated groundwater and protect our environment.