Microplastics as an Ecological Vector Transport for Pharmaceuticals: Insights into the Interaction Mechanisms

There is a growing concern about how microplastics could harm human health and ecosystems. The ability of microplastics to transport hydrophobic organic contaminants is well recognized. The potential for hydrophilic compounds, such as pharmaceuticals, to be adsorbed onto plastic substrates has been demonstrated by a recent study on these chemicals. Due to their extensive use, these substances are now pervasively in the environment and coexist with microplastics. Particular matrices’ physical and chemical characteristics control how plastics and pharmaceuticals are distributed and what happens when vectors transport them. This chapter’s objectives were to summarize and assess the various microplastic-pharmaceutical interactions and factors that affect the fate and mobility of hydrophilic chemicals, such as medications and personal care products (PPCPs), as well as their adsorption on microplastic surfaces. Kinetic microplastic investigations that have mostly focused on antibiotics have drawn some attention to a number of PPCP compounds, including steroidal hormones, antibacterial treatments, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The chapter also examines ecological factors that impact medicines, such as the sorption of PPCPs onto microplastics, such as pH, salinity, and dissolved organics. The ecotoxicological impacts of microplastics absorbed by PPCP on ecosystems and human health are also being investigated.