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Atmospheric cold plasma as a novel approach to remediating microplastics pollution in water
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Scientists demonstrated for the first time that atmospheric cold plasma — an energy-efficient technology that generates highly reactive molecules — can break down polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics in water. The treatment degraded the microplastics by up to 11% in just 30 minutes through oxidation reactions. While still in early stages, this low-cost approach could eventually become a practical method for removing microplastics from drinking and wastewater.
Microplastics (MPs) have become an environmental and health threat to aquatic species and humans because they are small and can easily reach water bodies for municipal and agricultural uses. MPs have been traced in food commodities and products derived from animals and even found in bottles of drinking water. Current treatment techniques for permanently destroying MPs require high energy inputs and thus are generally cost-inefficient. Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) is a low-cost energy-efficient technology to produce highly reactive species that can induce physicochemical changes in plastic polymers. This study, for the first time, used ACP as a novel method for MPs treatment. Polypropylene (PP) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were used to prepare model MPs. The effects of plasma working gas (oxygen, nitrogen, or their mixture) and post-ACP treatment storage (24 h) on MPs were studied. ACP treatments for 30 min successfully degraded both MPs, by 1.4-11.3% in weight. PP MPs had larger weight reduction than LDPE and the ACP of mixture gas was most effective. PP MPs also showed increased carbonyl index after treatments, to up to 6.89, indicating hydrolytic degradation. For LDPE MPs, oxygen ACP caused more oxidation, but storage did not have an enhancing effect. The results of physicochemical analyses indicated that MPs degradation by ACP was possibly mainly through oxidative and hydrolytic reactions, but further characterizations are needed. This study proves that ACP is a promising strategy to remediate MPs pollution, and thus has great potential for addressing the severe challenges of MPs that the food and agriculture sectors are currently facing.
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Unlocking the Hidden Potential of Cold Plasma Technology for Combating Microplastic Pollution in Aqueous Environments
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Microplastics, tiny plastic bits that pollute our water and can end up in our bodies, are hard to clean up with current methods, which often waste energy or create new pollution. This review paper rounds up existing research on "cold plasma," a technology that uses charged gas particles to break down microplastics into harmless carbon dioxide and water without burning them or using harsh chemicals. While the approach shows real promise as a cleaner way to tackle plastic pollution in water, the researchers note it's still facing technical hurdles before it can be used widely in the real world.
Cold plasma technologies for sustainable water treatment: a state-of-the-art review
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Researchers reviewed cold plasma technology as a water treatment platform, highlighting its ability to simultaneously generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, UV photons, and shock waves to achieve >5–6 log microbial reduction within minutes while also oxidatively fragmenting microplastics — though scaling beyond the lab remains constrained by energy efficiency and reactor durability.
Cold plasma-induced fragmentation and surface modification of polystyrene microplastics in aqueous systems
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In lab tests, tiny polystyrene microplastic particles in water were exposed to cold plasma. The treatment broke particles into smaller pieces and changed their surface texture and shape within minutes, rather than fully breaking down the plastic chemically, suggesting potential use as a pretreatment step before further processing.
Investigation of the Effectiveness of O2 Plasma Pretreatment for the Decomposition of (Micro)Plastics in Water
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Researchers investigated whether oxygen plasma pretreatment could enhance the decomposition of microplastics in water. The study evaluated this approach as a potential solution for breaking down plastic particles that serve as carriers of contaminants in aquatic environments, contributing to the search for effective technologies to address waterborne microplastic pollution.
A Study on the Degradation of Polymethyl Methacrylate Microplastics by Plasma Reaction System in Solution
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Researchers used a plasma reaction system to degrade polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microplastics in water, finding that voltage, frequency, and hydrogen peroxide concentration all affected degradation rates. Plasma-based treatment systems show potential as an advanced approach to breaking down microplastic particles in contaminated water.
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