Sumei Li

The co-occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics as emerging contaminants demonstrates significant ecological perturbations in soil matrices. Of particular scientific interest is the potential for MPs to mediate the environmental fate and transport dynamics of co-existing antibiotics. This study investigated MP-mediated ciprofloxacin (CIP) adsorption in lateritic soils. Batch experiments with polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and poly (ethylene-terephthalate) (PET) revealed soil components dominated CIP retention, while 10% (w/w) MPs reduced soil adsorption capacity by ≥10.8%, with inhibition intensity following PET > PE > PP. Adsorption thermodynamics exhibited significant pH dependence, achieving maximum sorption efficiency at pH 5.0 (± 0.2), which was approximately 83%. Competitive adsorption analysis demonstrated inverse proportionality between ionic strength and CIP retention, with trivalent cations exhibiting superior competitive displacement capacity compared to mono- and divalent counterparts. Isothermal modeling revealed multilayer adsorption mechanisms governed by hybrid chemisorption/physisorption processes in both soil and MP substrates. Spectroscopic characterization suggested differential adsorption pathways: MP-CIP interactions were primarily mediated through hydrophobic partitioning and π-π electron coupling, while soil–MP composite systems exhibited dominant cation exchange capacity and surface complexation mechanisms. Notably, electrostatic attraction/repulsion forces modulated adsorption efficiency across all experimental conditions, particularly under varying pH regimes. This work advances understanding of co-contaminant dynamics in soil ecosystems, informing risk assessment frameworks.

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is a kind of widely used brominated flame retardant (BFR), which is proven to be harmful to ecological systems and public health. It is very important to remove TBBPA from the environment. In our study, a magnetic composite named Fe₃O₄/GO/ZIF-67 was synthesized by a coprecipitation method and applied in the highly efficient adsorption of TBBPA from water. Static adsorption experiments demonstrated that the adsorption capacity could reach 232 mg·g⁻¹ within 120 min, which is much higher than those reported in the other literature. The experimental results show that the adsorption of TBBPA on Fe₃O₄/GO/ZIF-67 followed Langmuir and pseudo-second-order kinetic adsorption models. The main mechanisms for these adsorptions were identified as hydrogen bonds between OH groups in TBBPA and COOHs of Fe₃O₄/GO/ZIF-67, and π-π stacking between Fe₃O₄/GO/ZIF-67 and TBBPA. This study provides a method with great promise for the design and synthesis of better adsorbents for the removal of TBBPA from the water environment.

Microplastics (MPs) are plastic fragments with particle sizes smaller than 5 mm that have potentially harmful effects on ecosystems and human health. The soil environment is not only the source but also the sink of MPs. Thus, it is necessary to fully understand the pollution and distribution of MPs in soils. In this study, Qinghai Province, northeast of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, was selected as the research area, and 22 soil samples were collected and analyzed to study the levels and distribution characteristics of MPs in grassland soils. MPs were obtained from the soils by using density separation, and a laser confocal micro Raman spectrometer was used for MP identification. The results showed that MPs were detected in all of the soil samples. The total abundances of MPs ranged from 1125 to 1329 items/kg, with a mean abundance of 1202 items/kg. Various types, shapes, sizes, and colors of MPs were observed. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was the dominant polymer in all the grassland soil samples. The size range of 10–50 μm accounted for 50% of all identified MPs. Pellets were the dominant MP shape, and colored MPs accounted for 64% of all MPs. The results revealed the presence of large quantities of MPs in the grassland soils of remote areas as well. This study can act as a reference for further studies of MPs in terrestrial systems. At the end of the paper, the prospects and suggestions for pollution control by soil MPs are given.

Lead-acid batteries (LABs), a widely used energy storage equipment in cars and electric vehicles, are becoming serious problems due to their high environmental impact. In this study, an integrated method, combining material flow analysis with life cycle assessment, was developed to analyze the environmental emissions and burdens of lead in LABs. The environmental burdens from other materials in LABs were not included. The results indicated that the amount of primary lead used in LABs accounted for 77% of the total lead production in 2014 in China. The amount of discharged lead into the environment was 8.54 × 10⁵ tonnes, which was mainly from raw material extraction (57.2%). The largest environmental burden was from the raw materials extraction and processing, which accounted for 81.7% of the total environmental burdens. The environmental burdens of the environmental toxicity potential, human toxicity potential-cancer, human toxicity potential-non-cancer, water footprint and land use accounted for more than 90% at this stage. Moreover, the environmental burdens from primary lead was much more serious than regenerated lead. On the basis of the results, main practical measures and policies were proposed to reduce the lead emissions and environmental burdens of LABs in China, namely establishing an effective LABs recycling system, enlarging the market share of the legal regenerated lead, regulating the production of regenerated lead, and avoiding the long-distance transportation of the waste LABs.