Comments and discussion concerning 'Sorption behavior of tebuconazole on microplastics: kinetics, isotherms and influencing factors' [Environ Technol. 2023;44:3937-3948].

Abstract

The widespread use of synthetic polymers since the mid-twentieth century has led to significant environmental pollution from microplastics (MPs). These MPs, which persist in ecosystems, can interact with various pollutants, including pesticides such as tebuconazole (TEB). The subject paper investigates the sorption behaviour of TEB on different types of MPs (polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyamide-6), focusing on the kinetics and isotherms of these interactions. The role of metal cations (Al, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) in influencing TEB sorption is also investigated. Our findings highlight critical flaws that invalidate the original article, mainly in the interpretation of TEB physicochemical properties, such as pK_a and speciation, and the importance of considering metal ion complexation in environmental risk assessment. The sorption models used by the original authors, although widely used, are questioned for their accuracy in representing real-world scenarios.