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Papers
90 resultsShowing papers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
ClearPersonal protective equipment (PPE) disposal during COVID-19: An emerging source of microplastic and microfiber pollution in the environment
This review examines how discarded personal protective equipment from the COVID-19 pandemic has become a new source of microplastic and microfiber pollution. Researchers found that single-use masks, gloves, and other PPE break down into tiny plastic particles that contaminate water, soil, and air. The study highlights the environmental trade-off of pandemic safety measures and calls for better waste management strategies for healthcare materials.
Method for rapid biofilm cultivation on microplastics and investigation of its effect on the agglomeration and removal of microplastics using organosilanes
Researchers developed a rapid method for growing biofilms on microplastics using a packed bed column with municipal wastewater, achieving partial coverage within one week. They then tested how biofilm-coated microplastics responded to organosilane-based removal treatments and found that biofilm coverage significantly reduced removal efficiency across all five polymer types tested. The findings highlight the importance of accounting for realistic environmental biofilm conditions when evaluating microplastic removal technologies.
Retention of ZnO nanoparticles onto polypropylene and polystyrene microplastics: Aging-associated interactions and the role of aqueous chemistry
Researchers investigated how zinc oxide nanoparticles attach to polypropylene and polystyrene microplastics under different water chemistry conditions. They found that UV-aged microplastics retained significantly more nanoparticles than fresh ones, and water pH and natural organic matter influenced the interaction. The study suggests that weathered microplastics in the environment are more effective at carrying metal contaminants, potentially increasing ecological risks.
Influence of aging, morphology and particle size on the behavior of microplastics during magnetic seeded filtration
Researchers investigated how particle size, shape, and environmental aging affect the ability of magnetic seeded filtration to remove microplastics from water. They found that aging significantly reduced the separation efficiency for certain types of microplastics, and that particle shape and size also influenced removal rates. The study highlights important considerations for developing more effective water treatment technologies for microplastic removal.
Hydrogen from Waste Gasification
This review examines how gasification technology can convert waste materials, including municipal solid waste, tires, and plastic waste, into hydrogen fuel. Researchers found that hydrogen production potential varies widely depending on the feedstock, ranging from 15 to 300 grams of hydrogen per kilogram of waste. The study highlights gasification as a promising pathway for producing renewable hydrogen, though supportive regulations are needed to bring the technology to market.
On the vertical structure of non-buoyant plastics in turbulent transport
Researchers investigated how non-floating plastic debris moves through river-like flows and found that plastics settle in unique, complex patterns due to their irregular shapes. In low-turbulence conditions, interactions between the plastic particles and the riverbed enhanced mixing beyond what standard sediment transport models would predict. The study proposes a new equation for describing how plastics are distributed vertically in flowing water.
Recycling of polyamides: Processes and conditions
This review examines the various methods available for recycling polyamide plastics, a widely used family of engineering materials found in automotive parts, textiles, and construction. Researchers compare biological, chemical, mechanical, physical, and thermal recycling approaches, noting that the complexity of modern polyamide products makes them challenging to recycle. The study highlights the trade-offs between cost, environmental impact, and material quality recovery for each recycling method.
Microplastic contamination of soil: Are input pathways by compost overridden by littering?
Researchers investigated whether compost application is a major pathway for microplastic contamination of agricultural soil using a long-term fertilizer trial. The study found that while compost does contribute microplastics, the levels detected were relatively low compared to microplastics from general littering, suggesting that environmental littering may be a more significant source of soil microplastic contamination than composting.
Analytical and toxicological aspects of nanomaterials in different product groups: Challenges and opportunities
This review examined the analytical and toxicological challenges of engineered nanomaterials across consumer and industrial product groups, discussing release pathways, detection difficulties, and safety considerations including dose-metrics for assessing consumer risk.
Hydrothermal liquefaction of sewage sludge: use of HCOOH and KOH to improve the slurry pumpability in a continuously operated plant
Researchers tested whether adding formic acid or potassium hydroxide to sewage sludge could make it easier to pump through a continuous hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) reactor — a process that converts wet waste into bio-oil — finding that both additives improved pumpability and produced oil yields similar to batch processing.
Microplastic particles and infusion therapy — Evidence, implications, and unanswered questions
This review highlights infusion therapy via medical devices and pharmaceutical containers as a significant but often overlooked route of microplastic exposure in humans. The study emphasizes that despite strict regulations, advances in clinical research have not been fully integrated into current industry testing standards, and calls for a standardized, multi-method approach to microplastic detection and risk assessment in medical settings.
Microplastic and natural sediment in bed load saltation: Material does not dictate the fate
Researchers investigated how microplastics move as bed load in river flows and found that transport behavior in saltation was governed primarily by particle size, shape, and density rather than material composition, suggesting that microplastics follow similar transport mechanics as natural sediment.
The potential of fluorescent dyes—comparative study of Nile red and three derivatives for the detection of microplastics
Researchers compared Nile red and three newly developed fluorescent dye derivatives for staining microplastics, finding that the derivatives achieved greater selectivity for plastic particles and more intense fluorescence than standard Nile red, improving detection sensitivity.
Review: Mitigation measures to reduce tire and road wear particles
This review summarizes the current state of science and technology for reducing tire and road wear particles (TRWP), which are generated by friction between tires and road surfaces. The study analyzed approximately 500 sources and assessed various preventative and end-of-pipe mitigation strategies based on their efficiency, maturity, and potential environmental impact.
A Comparative Examination of Atmospheric Models for Studying Airborne Micro- and Nanoplastic Pollution
This review compares existing atmospheric transport models for micro- and nanoplastics, examining how different modeling frameworks handle particle emission, transport, deposition, and fate. The authors find that large uncertainties remain due to poorly constrained emission inventories and limited atmospheric measurement data, and identify priority gaps for improving model accuracy.
Quantification of Nanoplastics and Inorganic Nanoparticles via Laser‐Induced Breakdown Detection (LIBD)
Researchers developed a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) method for quantifying nanoplastics and distinguishing them from inorganic nanoparticles in environmental samples, demonstrating detection limits and specificity suitable for routine environmental monitoring.
Poly(lactic acid) nanoplastics through laser ablation:Establishing a reference model for mimicking biobasednanoplastics in aquatic environments
Researchers used laser ablation in water to fabricate PLA (polylactic acid) nanoplastics averaging 54.7 nm in diameter with surface carboxylic groups resembling environmental degradation products, providing a reproducible reference model for studying biobased nanoplastic behavior and risk in aquatic environments.
Microplastic alteration in agricultural soils across Europe: Comparative study of MPs inside and outside soil aggregates over two years
Researchers tracked microplastic aging inside and outside soil aggregates in European agricultural soils over two years, comparing fields in multiple countries. Microplastics enclosed within aggregates showed less physicochemical aging than surface-exposed particles, suggesting that aggregate formation can temporarily protect plastics from degradation and prolong their persistence in soil.
A wear-resistant metastable CoCrNiCu high-entropy alloy with modulated surface and subsurface structures
This study investigated the sorption of organophosphate flame retardants onto polyethylene microplastics in freshwater under varying temperature and pH, finding strong adsorption and significant desorption in the simulated gut conditions of fish. Microplastics may therefore vector flame retardants into fish tissues via ingestion.
The key role of surface tension in the transport and quantification of plastic pollution in rivers
Researchers discovered that surface tension — the same force that lets insects walk on water — traps a large portion of floating plastic in rivers at the water's surface, meaning current monitoring methods that only sample the surface may underestimate total riverine plastic pollution by up to 90%.
Accuracy and performance of the lattice Boltzmann method with 64-bit, 32-bit, and customized 16-bit number formats
Researchers evaluated whether reduced-precision number formats (FP16 and posit16) could replace double-precision (FP64) arithmetic in lattice Boltzmann method fluid dynamics simulations without sacrificing accuracy. By developing a customized 16-bit format matched to the typical number range in LBM, they achieved near-FP32 accuracy with significant memory and computational performance gains.
Antibiotic resistance genes in treated wastewater and in the receiving water bodies: A pan-European survey of urban settings
Researchers surveyed 16 wastewater treatment plants across ten European countries and found that antibiotic resistance genes — DNA instructions that help bacteria survive antibiotics — are consistently released into rivers receiving treated wastewater. The study found that plants with more biological treatment steps had lower levels of these genes, suggesting that upgrading treatment infrastructure could reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment.
Separation of Microplastic Particles from Sewage Sludge Extracts Using Magnetic Seeded Filtration
Researchers applied magnetic seeded filtration to separate microplastic particles from sewage sludge extracts, addressing the challenge that residual cellulose from toilet paper co-purifies with MPs during conventional digestion and interferes with identification. The method selectively removed cellulose while preserving microplastics, improving analytical accuracy for monitoring MPs in sludge.
Trashy treasures? The increasing terrestrial invertebrate diversity in small-scale dumps
Researchers surveyed terrestrial invertebrate diversity in small-scale plastic debris accumulations, finding that some invertebrate groups colonize and use plastic litter as habitat, creating complex interactions between pollution and biodiversity.