Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A Novel Application of Ultrasound for Removal of Aqueous Microplastics

Researchers investigated bath-type ultrasonication as a novel method for removing microplastics from aqueous environments, reporting this as the first application of this technique for microplastic remediation. The ultrasound-based approach showed promise as an effective treatment strategy for addressing microplastic pollution in water systems.

2025 ACS ES&T Water
Article Tier 2

A solution for controling microplastics in drinking water

Researchers developed and tested a technology for controlling microplastic contamination in drinking water, targeting particles at concentrations relevant to typical tap and bottled water exposure. The solution demonstrated effective removal of microplastics from drinking water under realistic treatment conditions.

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

Microplastic removal in conventional drinking water treatment processes: Performance, mechanism, and potential risk

Researchers tested how well conventional drinking water treatment processes remove microplastic particles ranging from 10 to 90 micrometers in diameter. They found that larger particles were effectively removed by coagulation and sand filtration, but about 16% of the smallest particles passed through. The study also discovered that UV-based disinfection can fragment remaining microplastics into even smaller pieces and increase water toxicity, suggesting current treatment methods may need improvement.

2021 Water Research 183 citations
Article Tier 2

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

Researchers evaluated the performance of both advanced and conventional drinking water treatment processes for removing microplastics, finding that advanced methods such as ultrafiltration substantially outperform standard coagulation and filtration. Most conventional treatment plants leave a meaningful fraction of microplastics in finished drinking water.

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

A solution for controling microplastics in drinking water

Researchers developed and tested a system for controlling microplastic contamination in drinking water, reporting on removal efficiency at levels relevant to public health. The approach offered effective microplastic reduction from drinking water sources including tap and bottled water.

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

Identifying microplastic contamination in drinking water: analysis and evaluation using spectroscopic methods

Researchers developed analytical methods to identify and quantify microplastic contamination in drinking water, evaluating extraction efficiency and detection accuracy across different water types and plastic particle sizes. The study assessed health implications based on measured plastic loads in treated water.

2024 Interdisciplinary Environmental Review
Article Tier 2

Removal of microplastics via drinking water treatment: Current knowledge and future directions

This review examines what is currently known about microplastics in drinking water systems and how well existing water treatment processes remove them. Researchers found that while conventional treatment steps like coagulation and filtration do reduce microplastic levels, significant amounts can still persist through to tap water. The study calls for more research into optimizing treatment processes and developing monitoring strategies specifically targeting microplastic contamination in drinking water.

2020 Chemosphere 386 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate of microplastics in the drinking water production

Researchers tracked the fate of microplastics through drinking water treatment processes, finding that conventional treatment steps like coagulation, sedimentation, and filtration removed the majority of microplastics but did not eliminate them entirely.

2022 Water Research 157 citations
Article Tier 2

Development and evaluation of a water treatment system for the removal of microplastics in an aqueous medium.

Researchers developed and evaluated a water treatment system for removing microplastics from aqueous media, addressing the urgent environmental concern of microplastic contamination in rivers, seas, and oceans and assessing the system's effectiveness as a promising water purification technology.

2025 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Recent Developments in the Application of Ultrasonication in Pre-Treatment of Municipal Sewage Sludge

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper reviews ultrasonication as a pre-treatment method for municipal sewage sludge to improve anaerobic digestion efficiency, with no focus on plastic contamination.

2023 Journal of Ecological Engineering 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Developing a Methodology for the Testing of Microplastics in Drinking Water Treatment Plants

Researchers developed a standardized methodology for testing microplastic removal efficiency at drinking water treatment plants, including sampling, analysis, and reporting protocols. Having consistent methods is critical for comparing microplastic contamination across different water treatment facilities and establishing regulatory benchmarks.

2021 Research Portal (Queen's University Belfast)
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Potentially Toxic Elements and Microplastics in the Water Treatment Facility

Researchers evaluated potentially toxic elements and microplastics throughout a water treatment facility, finding both contaminant classes present at various treatment stages and raising concerns about the adequacy of current drinking water purification.

2024 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Drinking Water:Current Knowledge, Quality Assuranceand Future Directions

This review synthesizes current knowledge on microplastics in drinking water, covering their occurrence in source waters, behavior during treatment processes, and potential health implications. Researchers found that while drinking water treatment plants remove a portion of microplastics, standardized quality assurance methods are still lacking. The study calls for improved monitoring protocols and treatment technologies to better address microplastic contamination in tap water.

2024 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficacy of electrolytic treatment on degrading microplastics in tap water

Researchers investigated whether electrolysis could degrade microplastics in tap water, finding that 30 minutes of electrolytic treatment produced measurable reductions in microplastic concentrations, suggesting this approach may have potential as a water treatment strategy.

2023 Journal of Emerging Investigators
Article Tier 2

Remediation of Pollutants using Ultrasound Induced Cavitation: “Nanostars in a Jar”

This study investigates ultrasound-induced cavitation as an advanced method for removing emerging contaminants — including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides — from wastewater that conventional treatment plants cannot fully address. The technique shows promise as a complement to existing water treatment technologies.

2023
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: review of removal methods for drinking water production

This review examined methods for removing microplastics from drinking water, responding to the growing detection of microplastic contaminants in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and both tap and bottled water. The review surveys emerging treatment technologies capable of addressing microplastics as pollutants in drinking water production, synthesizing evidence on removal efficiency, limitations, and practical applicability for water utilities.

2024 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Technology for Water Purification from Residues of Drugs and Plastic

This Ukrainian study reviewed the presence of pharmaceuticals and plastics in water supplies and developed treatment technology for removing them from industrial and municipal wastewater. Researchers found that tap water actually contained fewer microplastic particles than bottled water from major Ukrainian brands.

2019 Science and Transport Progress 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Modifications of ultraviolet irradiation and chlorination on microplastics: Effect of sterilization pattern

Researchers found that both UV irradiation and chlorination used in drinking water treatment alter the surface properties, size distribution, and chemical composition of microplastics, with combined treatments producing greater modifications and potentially increasing the release of plastic additives and adsorbed contaminants.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 38 citations
Article Tier 2

The potential risks posed by micro-nanoplastics to the safety of disinfected drinking water

This review examines the risks that micro- and nanoplastics pose to the safety of disinfected drinking water. Researchers found that common disinfection processes like ozone, chlorine, and UV treatment can actually make plastics more harmful by promoting leaching of organic compounds and generating disinfection byproducts. The study suggests that enhanced treatment technologies such as advanced coagulation, membrane filtration, and improved detection methods are needed to effectively remove these contaminants and prevent secondary hazards.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence of microplastics in drinking water from freshwater sources: the investigation in Changsha, China

Researchers measured microplastic abundance at multiple stages of a drinking water supply chain in Changsha, China — from source freshwater through treatment to household taps — finding that water treatment reduced MP concentrations by more than 85% but tap water still contained an average of 344 particles per liter.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 168 citations
Article Tier 2

Conventional and biological treatment for the removal of microplastics from drinking water

Researchers examined microplastic removal by a full-scale drinking water treatment plant, finding that conventional coagulation-flocculation-filtration processes and biological filters with granular activated carbon effectively reduced microplastic concentrations in treated water.

2021 Chemosphere 101 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

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
Review Tier 2

Removal of microplastics and nanoplastics in water treatment processes: A systematic literature review

Researchers systematically reviewed 103 studies across 26 water treatment plants in 12 countries to assess how well various technologies remove microplastics and nanoplastics from drinking water, finding that while coagulation, filtration, and advanced treatments help, significant gaps remain. The review identifies that no single process achieves complete removal, leaving microplastics as a persistent contaminant in treated water supplies.

2024 Journal of Water Process Engineering 34 citations