UV-aging reduces the effects of biodegradable microplastics on soil sulfamethoxazole degradation and sulgenes development

New research by Xuecong Sun, Shaohua Tian, Lelan You, Xu Huang, and Jian-Qiang Su reveals that while biodegradable microplastics (BMPs) can promote soil degradation, they also increase the abundance of sulfonamide resistance genes.

UV-aging, however, mitigates these effects and could potentially reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) proliferation. This study highlights the importance of understanding the complex interactions between biodegradable materials and the environment.