Spring water 16S rRNA gene sequences of bacterial communities in freshwater river in presence of ciprofloxacin and PET microplastics

Emerging contaminants like microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics pose environmental and health risks due to their persistence and incomplete removal from wastewater. MPs can act as vectors for antibiotics, transferring them across ecosystems and fostering biofilm formation that promotes antibiotic resistance. This study examines the combined effects of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) MPs on microbial communities in alpine spring water from a rock glacier.Four experimental setups (SW, SW+CIP, SW+PET, SW+CIP+PET) were used to assess MP sorption properties and microbial responses through 16S rRNA gene sequencing.