Interaction of microplastics with emerging organic pollutants: a study on atrazine adsorption and phytotoxicity

Abstract

The adsorption of atrazine (ATZ) onto pristine and aged polyethylene microplastics (MPs) was investigated in distilled water (DW) and hydroponic nutrient-enriched water (EW) to evaluate its phytotoxic effects on Lactuca sativa germination. Aged microplastics (AMPs) exhibited higher ATZ adsorption in both conditions: 0.646 mg/g (14.49%) in DW and 0.742 mg/g (15.87%) in EW, compared to 0.405 mg/g (9.08%) and 0.504 mg/g (10.78%) for pristine microplastics (PMPs), respectively. This increase was attributed to photodegradation-induced surface modifications on MP, including increased roughness and the formation of oxygenated functional groups. The phytotoxicity assays showed that ATZ adsorbed onto AMPs inhibited seed germination more severely, with a maximum inhibition of 34% at 2 mg/L, evidencing that microplastic aging enhances ATZ adsorption and increases toxicity risks in aquatic environments, particularly under eutrophic conditions. The combined presence of MP and ATZ resulted in greater toxicity, attributed to a synergistic effect, as observed in dry and wet mass inhibition. These findings indicate that pollutant interactions amplify negative impacts on plant development. Furthermore, ATZ primarily affects root growth through direct physical contact with MP rather than via desorption into water.