Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Focusing, sorting, and separating microplastics by serial faradaic ion concentration polarization

Researchers demonstrated a microfluidic technique that uses electric fields to continuously separate two types of microplastic particles in flowing water. This lab-on-chip approach could be developed into tools for monitoring or removing specific microplastic types from water treatment systems.

2020 Chemical Science 54 citations
Article Tier 2

DC Versus AC Electrokinetic-Driven Strategy Coupled with a Miniaturized Electrochemical-SERS Hydrogel Chip toward Dynamic Monitoring of Microplastics

DC versus AC electrokinetic strategies coupled with microfluidic devices were compared for separating and concentrating microplastics from water samples. The study advances electrokinetic methods as efficient tools for microplastic extraction and preconcentration ahead of analysis.

2025 Analytical Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A membrane cascade for size-based separation and concentration of nanoplastics in environmental waters

Researchers developed a cascade system of membrane filters that can separate and concentrate nanoplastics from environmental water samples by size. They demonstrated that the system effectively isolates nanoplastic particles while tracking recovery rates using fluorescent markers. The technology addresses a major challenge in nanoplastic research by providing a reliable method to extract these extremely small particles from water for accurate measurement and analysis.

2025 Separation and Purification Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Filtering and continuously separating microplastics from water using electric field gradients formed electrochemically in the absence of buffer

Scientists developed a microfluidic system that uses electric fields to continuously separate particles — including microplastics — from water flow without chemical additives. Electric field-based separation could offer a low-energy, chemical-free approach to removing microplastics from water streams.

2021 Chemical Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic separation and enrichment in microchannels under derivative electric field gradient by bipolar electrode reactions

Researchers used microfluidic channels equipped with bipolar electrodes to create electric field gradients that efficiently separate and concentrate microplastic particles from water at the microscale. Computer simulations optimized the channel design and voltage settings, offering a potential precision tool for removing microplastics from aquatic environments.

2024 Scientific Reports 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Electrokinetic separation techniques for studying nano- and microplastics

Electrokinetic separation techniques including capillary electrophoresis and field-flow fractionation are reviewed for their application to separating, identifying, and quantifying nano- and microplastics, offering advantages over traditional size- and density-based methods that exclude the smallest particles.

2022 Chemical Science 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfluidics-based electrophoretic capture and Raman analysis of micro/nanoplastics

Researchers developed a microfluidics-based electrophoretic capture system combined with Raman spectroscopy analysis to detect and characterize micro- and nanoplastics from aquatic ecosystems, exploiting differences in polymer composition to improve identification accuracy.

2025 Analytica Chimica Acta
Article Tier 2

Review: Impact of microfluidic cell and particle separation techniques on microplastic removal strategies

Researchers reviewed how microfluidic technology — the same miniaturized tools used in medical diagnostics to sort cells — could be adapted to separate and recover microplastics from water, offering a more precise and scalable alternative to conventional filtration methods used in wastewater treatment.

2024 Journal of Agriculture and Food Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Modelling of Diffusiophoretic Motion for Microplastic Filtration in Microchannel Flows.

Researchers developed microchannel designs that harness diffusiophoresis -- particle motion driven by electrolyte solute gradients in a cross-flow orientation -- to filter micrometer-sized particles such as microplastics from water. The modeling study demonstrates the potential of this mechanism to enable low-cost, decentralized water filtration without energy-intensive pressure-driven systems.

2024
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

Sheathless Elasto‐Inertial Focusing of Sub‐25 Nm Particles in Straight Microchannels

Scientists developed a new method to focus and separate nanoparticles as small as 25 nanometers using microchannels and special fluid properties, without needing any external equipment like electric fields. They successfully focused biological particles including lipoproteins and extracellular vesicles, which are important for medical diagnostics. While the technology was designed for biomedical applications, it could also be applied to detecting and separating nanoplastics from environmental samples.

2025 Small 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Continuous removal of nanoplastics from industrial wastewater using electrophoretic deposition and particle-stabilized foam formation process

A continuous-flow system was developed for removing nanoplastics from industrial wastewater, achieving efficient particle capture under high throughput conditions. The technology addresses the challenging problem of treating nanoplastic-contaminated industrial effluents before they enter receiving waters.

2025 Water Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Real-Time Underwater Nanoplastic Detection beyond the Diffusion Limit and Low Raman Scattering Cross-Section via Electro-Photonic Tweezers

Researchers developed an electro-photonic tweezer system using AC electro-osmotic flows and dielectrophoretic forces to actively concentrate and detect nanoplastics in real time underwater, overcoming detection limits posed by their tiny size and ultralow concentrations.

2022 ACS Nano 37 citations
Article Tier 2

A new approach in separating microplastics from environmental samples based on their electrostatic behavior

Researchers developed a novel electrostatic separation method to isolate microplastics from environmental matrices based on differences in electrostatic behavior between plastic particles and natural materials. The technique offers a low-cost, chemical-free approach to microplastic extraction that could complement or replace existing density separation methods in some applications.

2017 Environmental Pollution 245 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient removal of nanoplastics from industrial wastewater through synergetic electrophoretic deposition and particle-stabilized foam formation

Researchers developed a new method to remove nanoplastics from industrial wastewater by combining electrophoretic deposition with particle-stabilized foam formation. The process uses pH changes from water electrolysis to make tiny plastic particles attach to bubbles near the electrode, achieving removal rates above 90%. The technique was successfully tested on real-world wastewater from paint and plastics manufacturing, offering a practical approach to addressing nanoplastic pollution that is too small for conventional filters.

2024 Nature Communications 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Utilizing Electrosorptionfor Efficient Removal ofPolyethylene Microplastics from Water: Critical Factors and MechanisticInsights

An electrosorption method was developed to remove polyethylene microplastics from wastewater, demonstrating improved removal efficiency compared to conventional treatment, especially for smaller particles that typically escape standard wastewater treatment plants.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

High-throughput enrichment of micro-nanoplastic using inertial microfluidics

Researchers developed a high-throughput microfluidic enrichment method using inertial microfluidics for concentrating micro- and nanoplastics from water samples, demonstrating this passive particle manipulation technique as an efficient approach for pre-concentrating plastic particles prior to analysis.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics removal mechanisms in wastewater treatment plants: A review

This review examines how conventional wastewater treatment plants remove micro- and nanoplastics, and evaluates advanced technologies like membrane filtration and electrocoagulation that could improve removal rates. While existing treatment plants can capture most microplastics, they still release significant quantities into waterways through their enormous discharge volumes. The study highlights that biological treatment steps may also transform microplastics in potentially harmful ways that need further investigation.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of Microplastic Waste by Using a Novel Microfluidic System with an Integrated Object Tracking Algorithm

Researchers developed a novel microfluidic system integrated with an object tracking algorithm to detect and distinguish microplastics from other materials in water, using multiple microchannel designs fabricated from PDMS microchips. The system demonstrated the ability to observe microplastic flow and deformation behaviour within microchannels, providing a new platform for automated microplastic detection and characterization.

2025
Article Tier 2

Environmental aspects of restoring the environment: nanotechnology for removing micro and nanoplastics from water

Researchers developed a plasma chemical water purification method that combines modified humic substances with high-voltage electrical discharge to aggregate and magnetically remove micro- and nanoplastics from contaminated water. Tested on wastewater from a printing facility, the method outperformed conventional sorption or plasma treatment alone and showed promise for simultaneously removing plastics, heavy metals, and organic pollutants. This offers a potentially scalable technology for treating industrial wastewater sources that are currently releasing nanoplastics to the environment.

2023 Environment & Health
Article Tier 2

Removal of microplastics from wastewater through electrocoagulation-electroflotation and membrane filtration processes

Researchers investigated electrocoagulation-electroflotation and membrane filtration for removing microplastics from wastewater, finding that combining these processes effectively recovers microplastic particles from treatment plant effluent.

2021 Water Science & Technology 149 citations
Article Tier 2

Simple microfluidic device for simultaneous extraction and detection of microplastics in water using DC electrical signal

A simple microfluidic device using a DC electric field between two microwires in a straight channel was developed to simultaneously extract and detect microplastics from water via electrophoretic accumulation. The compact design offers a rapid, low-cost approach to microplastic monitoring.

2023 New Journal of Chemistry 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Performance of Electrified MXene Membranes in Real Wastewater Applications

Researchers investigated the performance of electrified MXene-based membranes for nanoplastic removal from real wastewater, finding that applying an electric field significantly improved nanoplastic rejection through electrostatic repulsion and electrocoagulation mechanisms while also increasing water flux compared to non-electrified conditions.

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

Ion concentration polarization focusing at a millimeter-scale microbead junction: towards higher volumetric throughput

Despite its title referencing microbeads ("microbead junction" in the abstract refers to ion-exchange resin beads used in electrochemistry), this paper studies a technique for concentrating charged molecules in solution using electrical fields — not microplastic pollution. It examines electrokinetic focusing performance at different channel scales, and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.

2025 Lab on a Chip 1 citations