Adsorption of levofloxacin by ultraviolet aging microplastics

Yue Zhang; Yinghua Li; Yiyan Wang; Fei Su; Jie Qian; Sinan Liu

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140196

Adsorption of levofloxacin by ultraviolet aging microplastics

Chemosphere. 2023 Dec:343:140196. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140196. Epub 2023 Sep 15.

Authors

Yue Zhang¹, Yinghua Li², Yiyan Wang³, Fei Su⁴, Jie Qian⁵, Sinan Liu⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, China. Electronic address: 2001056@stu.neu.edu.cn.
² School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, China. Electronic address: liyinghua1028@126.com.
³ School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, China. Electronic address: 649765215@qq.com.
⁴ School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, China. Electronic address: sufei0908@163.com.
⁵ School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, China. Electronic address: 2010383@stu.neu.edu.cn.
⁶ School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, China. Electronic address: dingdingnan2008@126.com.

PMID: 37717913
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140196

Abstract

Microplastics can combine with pollutants such as antibiotics and pose a threat to the environment and organisms. At the same time, the inevitable aging behavior of microplastics in the actual environment leads to changes in their physical and chemical properties, and thus changes the reaction mechanism between microplastics and other pollutants. In this study, we used three common microplastics PE/PS/PA to study the adsorption behavior of levofloxacin hydrochloride. Ultraviolet aging method was used to simulate the aging process of levofloxacin hydrochloride under sunlight, and compared with that of before aging. The results showed that the order of adsorption capacity was PS-UV > PA-UV > PE-UV > PA > PS > PE. Aging behavior can significantly enhance the adsorption capacity of microplastics to pollutants. Both Langmuir and Freundlich models can be used to fit the isothermal adsorption process well, indicating that the adsorption process was not a simple monolayer adsorption, but also a multi-molecular layer adsorption. The experiments showed that the adsorption process was affected by various mechanisms, including π-π conjugation, hydrogen bond, ion exchange and electrostatic interaction. This study elucidated the interaction mechanism between microplastics and levofloxacin hydrochloride, which has important significance for future control of microplastics and antibiotic pollution.

Keywords: Adsorption; Antibiotics; Mechanism; Microplastics; Ultraviolet aging.