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Updated: Feb 1, 2026

Sampling and Identification of Microplastics in Groundwater
Published on: November 7, 2025
Sorption and desorption of selected pharmaceuticals by polyethylene microplastics
Roger Mamitiana Razanajatovo1, Jiannan Ding2, Shanshan Zhang1
1School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
Abstract:
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the sorption and desorption of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), propranolol (PRP) and sertraline (SER) by polyethylene (PE) microplastics in water. After the 96 h mixture, the sorption percentages of pharmaceuticals on PE microplastics decreased according to the following order: SER (28.61%) > PRP (21.61%) > SMX (15.31%). The sorption kinetics were fitted well with the pseudo-second-order model. Both linear and Freundlich models were able to describe the sorption isotherm. The results suggest that the sorption process of the pharmaceuticals may be adequately described by their hydrophobicity and electrostatic interactions. The desorption results showed that 8% and 4% of PRP and SER, respectively, were released from the microplastics within 48 h, but the sorption of SMX was irreversible. The results indicate the potential risks of PRP and SER for bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms via ingestion of the microplastics in aquatic environments.
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