Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Environmental impacts, pollution sources and pathways of spent lithium-ion batteries

This review categorizes and assesses the environmental impacts, pollution sources, and pathways associated with spent lithium-ion batteries. The study highlights the growing environmental concerns as battery waste increases alongside the expansion of electric vehicles and portable electronics.

2021 Energy & Environmental Science 833 citations
Article Tier 2

Research on Pollution Control in the Recycling of Spent Lithium-ion Batteries

This review examines pollution control challenges in the recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), covering the release of heavy metals, electrolyte solvents, and fluorinated compounds during processing. It calls for integrated pollution control across all recycling stages to prevent environmental contamination as LIB volumes surge.

2025 Applied and Computational Engineering
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of microplastics and the role for complex pollution in e-waste recycling base of Shanghai, China

Researchers found extremely high concentrations of microplastics — up to 44,277 particles per 50 g in dust samples — at a formal e-waste recycling facility in Shanghai, with 103 polymer types detected, highlighting electronic waste recycling as a significant and understudied source of microplastic pollution.

2022 Environment International 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic breath: Quantification of microplastics and polymer additives in airborne particles

Researchers measured microplastics and their chemical additives in airborne dust at an electronics recycling plant, identifying ten different plastic types and eight classes of additives including flame retardants and phthalates. The findings confirm that people can inhale microplastics along with potentially harmful chemicals at work, raising concerns about respiratory and overall health risks from airborne plastic pollution.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne microplastics pollution in municipal solid waste processing and disposal complex: Concentration, characterization, and composition

Researchers investigated airborne microplastic pollution at the largest municipal solid waste processing and disposal complex in Iran. Using microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, they found microplastics in air samples from multiple locations throughout the facility, including processing halls, composting areas, and landfill sites. The study reveals that waste management facilities are significant sources of airborne microplastic emissions that may affect worker health and surrounding communities.

2024 Emerging contaminants 11 citations
Review Tier 2

Recycling Lithium-Ion Batteries—Technologies, Environmental, Human Health, and Economic Issues—Mini-Systematic Literature Review

This review examines the environmental and health challenges of recycling lithium-ion batteries, which are central to modern electronics and electric vehicles. Traditional recovery methods like pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy carry environmental risks, and emerging approaches like membrane processes and bioleaching show promise but face scaling challenges. The authors highlight that improving lithium recovery efficiency is critical for both preventing environmental contamination and securing sustainable supplies of this essential resource.

2024 Membranes 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparision of air sampling techniques to analyse microplastics during plastic recycling

Researchers compared air sampling methods for measuring microplastics released during plastic recycling operations, evaluating capture efficiency and particle size coverage. The study identified which sampling approaches are most suitable for characterizing worker inhalation exposure in recycling facilities.

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

Pollution characteristics and release mechanism of microplastics in a typical end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycling base, East China

This study conducted a comprehensive analysis of microplastic distribution in a typical end-of-life vehicle recycling facility, characterizing the types, sizes, and spatial distribution of microplastics generated during vehicle shredding and parts dismantling. The findings identified the recycling base as a significant and understudied source of microplastic emissions.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Concentrations and co-occurrence of 101 emerging and legacy organic pollutants in the ultrafine, fine and coarse fractions of airborne particulates associated with treatment of waste from electrical and electronic equipment

Researchers collected airborne ultrafine, fine, and coarse particles from three electronic waste dismantling facilities and detected 101 organic pollutants — including PAHs, brominated flame retardants, PCBs, and PFAS — concentrated most heavily in the ultrafine fraction, highlighting serious inhalation risks for workers in e-waste recycling environments.

2023 Chemosphere 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of airborne microplastics emissions in workplaces

Researchers measured airborne microplastic emissions in occupational settings, finding that workplaces can be significant sources of MP exposure through inhalation. The study characterized particle size, composition, and concentration of MPs in workplace air across different industrial environments.

2025 IRIS Research product catalog (Sapienza University of Rome)
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric microplastics emission from municipal solid waste incineration power plant: Field evidence and characterizations

Researchers detected microplastics for the first time in the exhaust gases of a municipal waste incinerator, finding over 2 trillion particles released into the air each year. The tiny particles, dominated by toxic polyvinyl chloride, can trap hazardous pollutants and travel far from the source, making industrial incineration a significant but previously overlooked pathway for microplastic pollution.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne Microplastics in Workplaces: Preliminary Findings from a Multi-site Investigation of Plastic Handling and Processing Facilities

A multi-site investigation of airborne microplastics in plastic handling and processing workplaces found elevated concentrations compared to outdoor air, with particle morphology and polymer types reflecting the specific plastics handled at each facility, identifying occupational inhalation as a significant exposure pathway.

2025 Journal of Biological Research - Bollettino della Società Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale
Article Tier 2

The manufacturing process and consequent occupational health and environmental risks associated with the use of plastic waste in construction bricks in small-scale recycling plants

Researchers reviewed health and environmental risks in small-scale facilities that recycle plastic waste into building bricks, finding that the manufacturing process likely releases microplastics, heavy metals, and toxic air pollutants, posing serious health hazards to workers — especially where safety measures are absent.

2024 Journal of Cleaner Production 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification, characteristics, and distribution of microplastics released from waste burning furnaces and their associated health impacts

Researchers quantified microplastics released from waste burning furnaces in Indonesia, finding 41-77 fiber-type particles at sampling sites near each furnace, with an estimated 1.9-2.3 microplastics entering the human body via inhalation, highlighting an overlooked airborne exposure pathway.

2023 Environmental Quality Management 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Occupational exposure to microplastics and heavy metals: a workstation-based study across small-scale, medium-scale, and large-scale plastic manufacturing in Nagpur, India

Researchers measured occupational exposure to airborne microplastics and heavy metals across small, medium, and large-scale plastic manufacturing facilities in Nagpur, India. They found varying levels of microplastic and metal contamination depending on industry scale and workstation location, with workers in certain areas facing notably higher exposure. The study highlights the need for improved workplace safety measures and exposure monitoring in plastic manufacturing settings.

2026 Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as an emerging source of particulate air pollution: A critical review

This review examines airborne microplastics as a form of particulate air pollution, highlighting risks especially for factory workers who handle plastics. Microplastics have been detected in both indoor and outdoor air, where they can be inhaled deep into the lungs. The authors note significant gaps in understanding how airborne microplastics affect air quality and human respiratory health, and call for better monitoring and occupational safety standards.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 390 citations
Article Tier 2

Recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries for a sustainable future: recent advancements

This review examines methods for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries, which are critical for recovering valuable metals like cobalt and lithium and preventing environmental pollution. The paper compares approaches including direct recycling, high-heat processing, and biological methods, evaluating their environmental impact and cost-effectiveness for a more sustainable circular economy.

2024 Chemical Society Reviews 254 citations
Article Tier 2

[Relationships Between Microplastic and Surrounding Soil in an E-Waste Zone of China].

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in soils around an e-waste dismantling zone in China, finding that plastic particles had distinct properties compared to those in less contaminated nearby soils, and that microplastic abundance correlated with other soil pollution indicators. E-waste processing sites are emerging as significant but understudied sources of microplastic soil contamination.

2021 PubMed 3 citations
Article Tier 2

An ignored potential microplastic contamination of a typical waste glass recycling base

Researchers found that a typical waste glass recycling facility is an overlooked source of microplastic contamination, releasing plastic particles into the surrounding environment through its operations.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Waste plastic management: Recycling and the environmental health nexus

Researchers reviewed plastic recycling methods and their health and environmental trade-offs, finding that mechanical recycling releases microplastics that can enter the body through inhalation and ingestion, and calling for smarter waste management systems and reduced use of toxic plastic additives.

2024 Cleaner Materials 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Sampling of microplastics at a materials recovery facility

Researchers sampled microplastics at a materials recovery facility (MRF), measuring airborne and surface microplastic concentrations at multiple points in the sorting process. Microplastic concentrations were elevated throughout the facility, particularly near shredding and sorting equipment, indicating that MRF workers may experience significant occupational microplastic exposure.

2024 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Lithium-ion battery recycling: a source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the environment?

Researchers reviewed the use of fluorinated substances, particularly per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in lithium-ion batteries and the risks posed by battery recycling processes. The study suggests that while high-temperature pyrometallurgy can mineralize PFAS, the increasingly popular lower-temperature hydrometallurgy approach may lead to incomplete degradation and release of persistent fluorinated substances.

2023 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 94 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne microplastic pollution in healthcare waste disposal systems: A cross-sectional study in Tehran

Researchers measured airborne microplastic concentrations in the air around healthcare waste disposal facilities—including autoclave and hydroclave units—in Tehran, conducting a cross-sectional sampling study. Plastic shredding during healthcare waste treatment released measurable airborne microplastic particles, identifying medical waste processing as an overlooked source of occupational and ambient microplastic exposure.

2025 Journal of Air Pollution and Health
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Airborne Microplastic Particles Collected from the Textile Workplaces Environment

Researchers characterized airborne microplastic particles collected from textile workplace environments, documenting the size, morphology, polymer types, and concentrations of synthetic fiber fragments that textile workers inhale during production, highlighting occupational exposure risks.

2025 International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM ...