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An Overview of the Sustainable Depolymerization/Degradation of Polypropylene Microplastics by Advanced Oxidation Technologies
Summary
This review provides an overview of advanced oxidation technologies being developed to break down polypropylene microplastics through sustainable depolymerization processes. Researchers examined methods including photocatalysis, Fenton reactions, and ozonation, evaluating their effectiveness at degrading this widely used plastic material. The study highlights the potential of these approaches for contributing to circular economy solutions for plastic waste.
Plastics have become indispensable in modern society; however, the proliferation of their waste has become a problem that can no longer be ignored as most plastics are not biodegradable. Depolymerization/degradation through sustainable processes in the context of the circular economy are urgent issues. The presence of multiple types of plastic materials makes it necessary to study the specific characteristics of each material. This mini-review aims to provide an overview of technological approaches and their performance for the depolymerization and/or degradation of one of the most widespread plastic materials, polypropylene (PP). The state of the art is presented, describing the most relevant technologies focusing on advanced oxidation technologies (AOT) and the results obtained so far for some of the approaches, such as ozonation, sonochemistry, or photocatalysis, with the final aim of making more sustainable the PP depolymerization/degradation process.