Catalytic degradation of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics by Co-N/C@CeO2 composite in thermal-assisted activation PMS system: Process mechanism and toxicological analysis

Experimental and Computational Validation on the Degradation Processes of Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastics by Mineral Acids and Thermal Treatment

Degradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastics by Mineral Acids: Experimental, Molecular Modelling and Optimization Studies

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Researchers found that acid rain — formed when atmospheric mineral acids react with oxygen — can degrade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics, with higher temperatures accelerating breakdown by attacking oxygen-containing parts of the plastic's structure. This suggests that environmental weathering from acid deposition may be an underappreciated factor in how PET plastics fragment into smaller particles in nature.

MOF-derived CeO2/Co3O4 heterojunction photocatalyst: Synergistic peroxymonosulfate activation for polyethylene terephthalate degradation

Nanomaterials for the Catalytic Degradation and Detection of Microplastics: A Review

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Researchers review how engineered nanomaterials can both detect and catalytically break down microplastics in water, offering a promising toolkit for cleaning up one of the most pervasive and hard-to-remove pollutants now found throughout aquatic environments and the human body.

Application of nanocomposites based on TiO2 and clay minerals for the photocatalytic degradation of low-density polyethylene microplastics

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Researchers tested TiO2-clay mineral nanocomposites as photocatalysts for degrading low-density polyethylene microplastics under UV-A light, achieving up to 31% mass loss with TiO2-kaolinite under acidic conditions, outperforming bare TiO2 due to an improved optical band gap and enhanced photocatalytic activity.