Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Changes in physical and chemical properties of microplastics by ozonation

Researchers examined how ozone treatment in water systems changes the physical and chemical properties of six common types of microplastics. They found that ozonation altered surface roughness, wettability, and chemical composition of the plastics, with some types being more affected than others. The findings are important because these changes could influence how microplastics interact with other pollutants and organisms in treated water.

2024 Process Safety and Environmental Protection 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Ozone-mediated breakdown of microplastics in aqueous environments

Researchers examined how ozone-based advanced oxidation processes break down microplastics in water treatment settings. They found that while ozone can degrade certain plastics, the effectiveness varies depending on particle size, polymer type, and treatment conditions, and the process may generate nanoplastic byproducts. The study highlights both the promise and limitations of ozone treatment as a strategy for removing microplastics from wastewater.

2025 Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding and Improving Microplastic Removal during Water Treatment: Impact of Coagulation and Flocculation

Researchers systematically tested coagulation and flocculation for removing microplastics from drinking water, finding that removal efficiency depended strongly on plastic particle size and whether particles had been weathered, with smaller pristine particles being the hardest to remove.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 424 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic removal in coagulation-flocculation: Optimization through chemometric and morphological insights

Researchers optimized the coagulation-flocculation process — a standard water treatment step where chemicals cause particles to clump and settle — for removing three types of microplastics: polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene. Polystyrene was removed most efficiently, and adjusting pH, coagulant type, and dosage significantly improved removal rates, providing practical guidance for upgrading existing water treatment plants to better capture microplastics.

2026 Journal of Ecological Engineering
Article Tier 2

Reactivity of four model microplastics with ozone.

Researchers investigated the reactivity of four model microplastic types with ozone, examining how ozone treatment affects the physicochemical properties of microplastics as a potential water treatment strategy for degrading plastic particles.

2025 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Ozonation and its Application in Wastewater Treatment

Not relevant to microplastics — this review covers ozonation and catalytic ozonation as wastewater disinfection and organic pollutant degradation technologies, with no focus on microplastic contamination.

2023 International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating the Potential of Coagulants to Improve Microplastics Removal in Wastewater and Tap Water

Researchers found that adding coagulants (FeCl3 or Al2(SO4)3) to wastewater and tap water improved microplastic removal, with aluminum sulfate achieving 43% and 62% removal efficiencies respectively, though the high concentrations required suggest that combining coagulants with organic polyelectrolytes could improve practicality.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Enhancing microplastic removal from natural water using coagulant aids

Researchers tested different chemical treatments for removing microplastic beads from natural water and found that polyaluminium chloride combined with polyacrylamide achieved over 95% removal across six common plastic types. The treatment worked on particles ranging from 10 to 1,000 micrometers, and natural organic matter in the water actually improved performance. The findings suggest that optimizing standard water treatment processes could be a practical way to reduce microplastic contamination in drinking water sources.

2024 Chemosphere 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Treatment technologies for the removal of micro plastics from aqueous medium

Researchers reviewed treatment technologies for removing microplastics from water, finding that while multiple methods including filtration, membrane processes, and coagulation show promise, their effectiveness depends on microplastic size, type, and concentration.

2022 AIP conference proceedings 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Organic Micropollutants and Microplastics via Ozonation Followed by Granular Activated Carbon Filtration

A pilot ozonation and granular activated carbon filtration system at a German wastewater treatment plant removed over 80% of organic micropollutants and transformation products, but had minimal impact on microplastic concentrations, indicating a gap in treatment efficacy.

2024 Environments 8 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of Ozonation on the chemical structure of microplastics

Ozone treatment of microplastics in water caused oxidative changes to polymer surfaces including carbonyl group formation and surface cracking, which altered hydrophobicity and potentially increased the capacity of treated particles to adsorb contaminants, suggesting that ozonation in water treatment may chemically transform rather than eliminate microplastic hazards.

2021 IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Estudo da degradação de microplásticos em água e efluente secundário de estação de tratamento de esgoto por processos baseados em ozônio

This Brazilian study tested ozone-based water treatment processes for degrading polyethylene microplastics in both clean water and secondary wastewater effluent. While ozonation could break down microplastics into smaller fragments and dissolved organic carbon, it did not fully eliminate them, suggesting the need for combined treatment approaches.

2022 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Degradation in Water: A Review of Advanced Oxidative Processes and Ozonation for Effective Treatment

This review examines advanced oxidative processes (AOPs) and ozonation as emerging technologies for degrading microplastics in drinking water and aquatic environments, covering both identification and quantification methods alongside treatment efficacy. The authors assess the challenges and capabilities of these approaches in addressing the growing concern over microplastic contamination in water supplies.

2025 Asian Journal of Chemistry
Article Tier 2

The impact of ozonation on PET and PVC microplastics in model urban wastewater

Researchers investigated the effects of 6-hour ozonation treatment on PET and PVC microplastics in model urban wastewater, evaluating ozonation as an advanced oxidation process for microplastic degradation and assessing changes in polymer structure and surface chemistry for both plastic types.

2025 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Review Tier 2

Removal of microplastics in unit processes used in water and wastewater treatment: a review

This review evaluates various water and wastewater treatment technologies for their ability to remove microplastics, including filtration, coagulation, and advanced oxidation methods. The authors found that while conventional treatment plants can remove a large percentage of microplastics, significant quantities still pass through into treated water. The study calls for combining multiple treatment steps and developing new technologies specifically designed to capture micro- and nanoplastic particles.

2023 Archives of Environmental Protection 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Coagulation technologies for separation of microplastics in water: current status

This review examines how coagulation water treatment technologies can remove microplastics from water. Conventional coagulation achieves 8-98% removal efficiency while electrocoagulation achieves 8-99%, depending on conditions, offering a potentially effective approach for reducing microplastics in drinking water and wastewater.

2023 Journal of Physics Conference Series
Article Tier 2

Removal of Microplastics in a Hybrid Treatment Process of Ceramic Microfiltration and Photocatalyst-Mounted PES Spheres with Air Backwashing

Researchers developed a hybrid water treatment system combining ceramic microfiltration with photocatalyst-coated spheres and air backwashing to remove microplastics and organic matter. The combined system achieved higher removal rates for both microplastics and dissolved organic compounds than any single treatment method alone. The study demonstrates a promising approach for upgrading existing water treatment facilities to better handle microplastic contamination.

2024 Membranes 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of different oxidants on the behaviour of microplastic hetero-aggregates

Researchers studied how different oxidants (ozone, chlorine, UV) affect the aggregation and settling behavior of microplastics in water treatment, finding that oxidation altered surface chemistry and changed hetero-aggregate formation with natural particles. The results have implications for predicting microplastic removal efficiency in drinking water and wastewater treatment plants.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and removal of microplastics by advanced and conventional drinking water treatment facilities

Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence and removal efficiency at drinking water treatment plants using both conventional and advanced treatment processes. Advanced treatment steps such as ultrafiltration and activated carbon significantly improved microplastic removal compared to conventional coagulation and filtration alone.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Treatment processes for microplastics and nanoplastics in waters: State-of-the-art review

This review summarized established and emerging treatment processes for removing microplastics and nanoplastics from drinking water and wastewater, evaluating coagulation, membrane filtration, advanced oxidation, and biological treatment in terms of removal efficiency and operational feasibility.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 102 citations