Adsorption Dynamics of Atrazine on realistic Polystyrene Nanoplastics: Insights into Co-Contamination Risks

After their disposal, single-use plastic products end up in environments and start withering, eventually breaking down into Nanoplastics (NPs). This has become an emerging environmental concern. Unsupervised disposal has caused their entry into groundwater and eventually reaches the human body through the food chain, causing health risks. There is a significant research gap in studying realistic NPs that are non-spherical NP particles. A lab produced NPs suspensions prepared for the experiments. The NPs in groundwater act as a vector for other contaminants, such as atrazine, which is widely used as herbicide. The environmental persistence of atrazine can cause soil and water contamination due to its hydrophobic nature and its tendency to adsorb onto particulate matter, including nanoparticles, making it ideal for getting transported by NPs in the groundwater. Hence, it is essential to study its adsorption dynamics and ecological impacts in the presence of NPs derived from single-use plastic products such as polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNP). This study aims to understand the adsorption of atrazine by realistic PSNPs and the environmental risks posed by pesticide and nanoplastic co-contamination. Adsorption studies of PSNPs and atrazine were done varying different parameters like contact time, the concentration of atrazine, and NP, salinity and pH. Adsorption of atrazine was found highest for the highest concentration of NPs. Salinity increased the adsorption of atrazine onto PSMPs. The study helped to conclude that the adsorption of atrazine onto realistic NPs is possible.