Sorption Characteristics of Tetracycline in Water on Microplastics

BACKGROUND: Plastics that are used in our daily lives largely end up in the environment. In agricultural environments, plastic wastes and microplastics can be found due to the uses and improper management of plastic products (e.g., vinyl greenhouses and mulching vinyl). Microplastics can also interact with contaminants in the agricultural environment. Therefore, this study was set to investigate the sorption characteristics of tetracycline, one of widely used antibiotics, on microplastics. METHODS AND RESULTS: The sorption tests were carried out with the tetracycline solutions (0-30 mg L -1 ) and microplastic films prepared from low density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The re-sidual tetracycline concentrations were analyzed and fitted to the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models. The tetracycline sorption patterns on LDPE and PVC films were described better with the Freundlich isotherm model than the Langmuir isotherm model. The isotherm model parameters suggested that the maximum sorption amount of tetracyline was greater for PVC, while the sorption af-finity was greater for LDPE. CONCLUSION(S): Different types of microplastics can have different sorption characteristics of tetracycline. Therefore, there is a need for continuous research on the interaction of various types and shapes of microplastics and contaminants in the environment.