Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Ionic Liquids as Extractants for Nanoplastics

This study proposed ionic liquids as a new class of extractants for removing nanoplastics from complex water and biological matrices. Ionic liquids could offer more efficient nanoplastic separation compared to conventional methods, enabling better quantification of nanoplastic contamination in food, water, and environmental samples.

2020 ChemSusChem 31 citations
Article Tier 2

A novel extraction protocol of nano-polystyrene from biological samples

Researchers developed a diatomite-based extraction protocol for isolating nano-polystyrene from biological samples, providing a method to quantify nanoplastics in tissues that had previously lacked reliable analytical tools.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the performance of electrocoagulation system in the removal of polystyrene microplastics from water

Researchers tested electrocoagulation, a water treatment method that uses electric current to clump particles together, for removing polystyrene microplastics from water. Using aluminum electrodes at neutral pH, they achieved over 90% removal efficiency. This technology could provide a practical and effective way to remove microplastics from drinking water and wastewater, reducing human exposure to these contaminants.

2023 Environmental Research 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Trace analysis of polystyrene microplastics in natural waters

Researchers developed and evaluated analytical methods for trace-level quantification of polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics in natural water samples, addressing key challenges in sensitivity and accuracy that limit realistic environmental risk assessment.

2019 Chemosphere 133 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Extraction from Water by Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents

Researchers developed an efficient method to extract nanoplastics from water using special solvents called hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents. The best-performing solvents removed nearly all nanoplastics in a single pass, regardless of particle size. This detection and removal technique could help scientists better measure nanoplastic contamination in drinking water and potentially lead to practical water purification solutions.

2024 ACS Applied Engineering Materials 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient removal of nano- and micro- sized plastics using a starch-based coagulant in conjunction with polysilicic acid

Researchers found that combining a starch-based coagulant with polysilicic acid efficiently removes nano- and micro-sized polystyrene particles from water, offering an eco-friendly coagulation approach for addressing microplastic pollution in water treatment applications.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of Poly(Ionic Liquid) in Aggregation Behavior of Micro‐Particles in Aqueous Solvent

Researchers synthesized novel polymer-based flocculants (poly(ionic liquids)) that outperformed conventional aluminum-based coagulants in aggregating polypropylene and polystyrene microplastics from natural seawater, even under the high-salinity conditions where conventional treatments fail. Removing microplastics from marine environments is uniquely challenging because salt disrupts standard coagulation chemistry; these metal-free flocculants offer a more effective alternative. The work identifies a promising class of water treatment chemicals specifically suited to saltwater microplastic remediation.

2026 Journal of Applied Polymer Science
Article Tier 2

Improving nanoplastic removal by coagulation: Impact mechanism of particle size and water chemical conditions

Researchers found that coagulation using aluminum chlorohydrate and polyacrylamide achieved up to 98.5% removal efficiency for polystyrene nanoplastics, with smaller particles being easier to remove, though humic acid in water competed for adsorption sites and reduced effectiveness.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Reciclagem química conduzida pelo uso de líquidos iônicos, como estratégia para mitigar a poluição por microplásticos

This study used low-toxicity ionic liquids to chemically recycle PET microplastics under mild temperature and pressure conditions. Ionic liquids offer a greener alternative to the harsh solvents typically needed for chemical recycling. The approach could help address microplastic pollution by providing a more environmentally friendly way to break down and recover value from tiny plastic particles that are difficult to collect and recycle by conventional means.

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

A method for efficient separation of polystyrene nanoplastics and its application in natural freshwater

Researchers developed a method using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) coupled with multiple detectors to efficiently separate and characterize polystyrene nanoplastics by particle size in freshwater environments, demonstrating its applicability for analysing nanoplastic environmental behaviour in natural freshwater samples.

2025 RSC Advances
Article Tier 2

Exploration of interaction mechanism and removal performance of polystyrene nanoplastics with covalent organic framework: Experimental and theoretical study

Researchers synthesized a covalent organic framework (COF) material and demonstrated it can remove polystyrene nanoplastics from water with 99% efficiency within two hours, driven primarily by electrostatic attraction, and retains strong performance across multiple regeneration cycles.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced flotation removal of polystyrene nanoplastics by chitosan modification: Performance and mechanism

Researchers improved removal of polystyrene nanoplastics from water using chitosan-modified air flotation, boosting removal efficiency from 3.1% to 96.7% by exploiting electrostatic attraction, enhanced hydrophobicity, and bridging adsorption to cause nanoplastics to aggregate into large, buoyant flocs.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Protein Corona-Mediated Extraction for Quantitative Analysis of Nanoplastics in Environmental Waters by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Scientists developed a new method for detecting and measuring nanoplastics in environmental water samples using a protein-based extraction technique paired with specialized mass spectrometry. The approach works by adding a protein that naturally coats nanoplastic particles, which can then be separated from the water and analyzed. Using this method, researchers detected nanoplastics in both river water and wastewater treatment plant samples, demonstrating a practical tool for monitoring these tiny but potentially harmful contaminants.

2021 Analytical Chemistry 103 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of a Fast and Efficient Strategy Based on Nanomagnetic Materials to Remove Polystyrene Spheres from the Aquatic Environment

Researchers developed magnetic nanoparticles coated with silver and an amino acid that can remove polystyrene microplastics from water with 100% efficiency in just 15 minutes. The approach works at room temperature and neutral pH, offering a fast and practical strategy for cleaning microplastic-contaminated water using simple magnetic separation.

2024 Molecules 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of microplastics from water by coagulation of cationic-modified starch: An environmentally friendly solution

Researchers developed a cationic-modified starch bio-coagulant as an eco-friendly method for removing microplastics from water, achieving an average removal rate of over 65% for polystyrene particles. The starch-based treatment was effective across a wide range of water pH levels and performed well in natural water samples from China's Yangtze River Delta. The study offers a sustainable and cost-effective approach for addressing microplastic contamination in water systems.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Extraction and concentration of nanoplastic particles from aqueous suspensions using functionalized magnetic nanoparticles and a magnetic flow cell

Researchers developed a method using hydrophobic magnetic nanoparticles to capture and concentrate nanoplastics — plastic particles smaller than 1 micrometer — from water samples, achieving recovery rates of 57–85% across different water types including freshwater and seawater. This technique addresses a major gap in nanoplastic research by making it possible to detect and measure these nearly invisible particles in real environmental samples.

2023 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Lignin derived hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents for the extraction of nanoplastics from water

Researchers synthesized lignin-based hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (environmentally friendly liquid mixtures) and demonstrated they can extract both polystyrene and PET nanoplastics from water with over 95% efficiency, offering a sustainable approach to nanoplastic detection and removal that avoids conventional synthetic solvents.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Interfacial interaction between micro/nanoplastics and typical PPCPs and nanoplastics removal via electrosorption from an aqueous solution

Researchers synthesized nanoscale polystyrene particles and investigated how they adsorb common pharmaceuticals and personal care products, specifically ciprofloxacin and bisphenol A. The study also explored electrosorption as a method for removing nanoplastics from water, providing insights into both the environmental behavior of nanoplastics and potential remediation strategies.

2020 Water Research 282 citations
Article Tier 2

A StraightforwardApproach for the Removal of Microplasticsfrom Water: Utilization of SLIPS

Researchers demonstrated for the first time that slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) can rapidly and efficiently remove polystyrene microplastics from water, with the slippery surface capturing particles through size-independent adhesion without requiring filters or chemical treatment.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Green solvent mediated extraction of micro- and nano-plastic particles from water

Researchers developed a green solvent-based extraction method for isolating micro- and nanoplastic particles from water samples, offering a lower-toxicity alternative to conventional extraction approaches for environmental plastic monitoring.

2023 Scientific Reports 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of polystyrene nanoplastics from aqueous solutions by a novel magnetic zeolite adsorbent

Researchers synthesized a magnetic zeolite adsorbent using co-precipitation and tested it for removal of polystyrene nanoplastics from water, achieving a maximum adsorption capacity of 34.2 milligrams per gram. Iron oxide functional groups on the zeolite surface drove nanoplastic capture via electrostatic attraction, complexation, and pi-pi conjugation, and the material could be magnetically separated for reuse.

2022 Human and Ecological Risk Assessment An International Journal 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Electrochemical Capture and Sensing of Polystyrene Nanoplastics

Researchers developed an electrochemical method to capture and detect polystyrene nanoplastics from water using proline-functionalized mesoporous silica thin films on screen-printed gold electrodes. The sensor directly captures particles from water bodies, offering a simpler and cheaper alternative to conventional nanoplastic detection methods.

2025
Article Tier 2

Adsorptive removal of micron-sized polystyrene particles using magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

Researchers demonstrated that magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles can effectively adsorb and remove micron-sized polystyrene microplastics from water, offering a magnetically recoverable approach to microplastic remediation.

2022 Chemosphere 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Separate determination of polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics in water by membrane filtration and gel permeation chromatography-ultraviolet detection analysis

Researchers developed a practical laboratory method to separately measure polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics in water samples using membrane filtration and a specialized chromatography technique. The method was validated in both environmental water and tap water, confirming the presence of nanoplastics through multiple analytical approaches. This represents an important step forward in the ability to accurately distinguish between different sizes of plastic pollution in drinking and environmental water.

2025 Talanta 4 citations