The effect of microplastic on sorption, toxicity and mineralization of 2,4-D based Ionic Liquids in aquatic environment

The presence of microplastics in the environment is an important topic in particular in terms of their role in the sorption and desorption processes of emerging contaminants in ecosystems. This assessment makes it possible to determine their impact on the migration of contaminants between aquatic and terrestrial environments. New-generation herbicide formulations such as ionic liquids (ILs), which integrate the structure of the classical herbicide anion with surface-active cations acting as adjuvants, are interesting compounds in terms of a new type of environmental contaminant. In our study, we analysed synthesised herbicide ILs combining the 2,4-D anion with cetyltrimethylammonium [CTA] and didecyldimethylammonium [DDA] cations. Furthermore, in our study, we verified the hypothesis that, in the presence of polyethylene (PE) microplastic, there is no difference in sorption between ILs and the cation-anion mixture used for their preparation in terms of their properties. In addition, we analysed the effect of sorption of ILs and the ion mixture on PE particles on their toxicity to the model bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440 using the trans/cis ratio of membrane unsaturated fatty acids as a stress biomarker and assessed their biodegradability using the standard OECD 301F test.