Effect of microplastics on the change in SMX bioavailability in soil

The studies concerned the assessment of the effect of the presence of microplastics on the change in bioavailability of one of the most commonly used and detected antibiotics in the environment, namely sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The study included determining the EC25 and EC50 values, i.e. the effective concentration causing 25% and 50% inhibition of the germination and initial development of the sorghum. In the second stage of the study, the effect of the presence of microplastics (PE, PS and ABS) on the development of sorghum was determined. Primary (p) and aged (a) microplastics were used in the study.The final study evaluated the impact of the interaction between xenobiotics (SMX and microplastics) on the change in bioavailability and the change in toxicity in relation to sorghum.