Microplastics in the environment can be colonized by
microbes capable
of forming biofilms, which may act as reactive coatings to affect
the bioaccessibility of pollutants in organisms. This study investigated
the dynamic evolution of biofilm colonization on microplastics and
its impacts and mechanisms on the bioaccessibility of microplastic-associated
sulfamethazine (SMT) via microcosm incubation in
surface water and sediment. After 60 days of incubation, the microbial
communities formed in microplastics were distinct and more diverse
than those untethered in surroundings, and photoaging treatment decreased
the affinity of biofilms on microplastics due to decreased hydrophobicity.
Biofilm formation further enhanced the desorption and bioaccessibility
of microplastic-sorbed SMT in organisms. In vitro experiments indicated that the critical effects were mainly related
to the stronger interaction of gastrointestinal components (i.e.,
pepsin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and NaT) with biofilm components
(e.g., extracellular polymer substances) than with the pure surface
of microplastics, which competed for binding sites in microplastics
for SMT more significantly. Photoaging decreased the enhancing effects
of biofilms due to their lower accumulation in aged microplastics.
This study is the first attempt to reveal the role of biofilms in
the bioaccessibility of microplastics with associated antibiotics
and provide insights into the combined risk of microplastics in the
environment.
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