Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical oxidation processes for polystyrene microplastic treatment: BDD anode vs Sb-doped SnO2 ceramic anode coated with a CdFe2O4 photocatalytic layer

Researchers tested two electrode types — a boron-doped diamond anode and a tin-oxide ceramic anode coated with a cadmium ferrite photocatalyst — for breaking down polystyrene microplastics using electrical current, with and without visible light. The study tracked removal efficiency, carbon mineralization, and energy consumption to compare the two systems. Findings help identify more sustainable and effective electrochemical methods for treating microplastic-contaminated water.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical oxidation processes for polystyrene microplastic treatment: BDD anode vs Sb-doped SnO2 ceramic anode coated with a CdFe2O4 photocatalytic layer

Researchers compared two electrode-based methods for breaking down polystyrene microplastics in water: a boron-doped diamond anode and a ceramic anode with a light-activated coating. Both approaches achieved over 95% removal of microplastics, with the diamond anode reaching up to 99% efficiency. The study demonstrates that electrochemical oxidation is a promising technology for removing microplastic contamination from water.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing the degradation of polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in water using electrochemical treatment at neutral pH

Researchers tested an electrochemical method using a boron-doped diamond anode to break down polystyrene and PET microplastics in water at neutral pH. They found that optimizing current intensity and treatment time led to significant degradation of both plastic types, with measurable reductions in particle mass and changes in surface chemistry. The study demonstrates that electro-oxidation could be a viable approach for treating microplastic-contaminated water without needing to add chemicals.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative Analysis of Electrochemical Oxidation and Biodegradation for Microplastic Removal in Wastewater

Researchers compared electrochemical oxidation and biodegradation for removing polystyrene microplastics from wastewater, finding that electrochemical oxidation achieved superior removal efficiency and could serve as a more effective treatment pathway at wastewater treatment plants.

2025 Applied and Computational Engineering
Article Tier 2

Electrochemical removal of polystyrene nanoplastics in a filter-press reactor using modified Ti-felt anodes [Dataset]

This dataset accompanies a study testing an electrochemical reactor designed to destroy polystyrene nanoplastics in water. It provides the raw experimental data supporting the published findings on how different electrode designs and reactor flow configurations affect nanoplastic removal efficiency.

2026
Article Tier 2

Treatment of microplastics in water by anodic oxidation: A case study for polystyrene

Anodic oxidation (electrooxidation) was tested as a method for degrading polystyrene microplastics suspended in water. The electrochemical treatment showed progressive microplastic degradation, demonstrating potential for electrooxidation as a water treatment approach targeting suspended plastic particles.

2020 Environmental Pollution 190 citations
Article Tier 2

Promoting removal of polystyrene microplastics from wastewater by electrochemical treatment

Researchers demonstrated that electrochemical treatment using specialized diamond electrodes can break down polystyrene microplastics in water by generating powerful oxidizing molecules. While still at the lab scale, this approach could eventually help remove microplastics from wastewater before they reach the environment and enter the human food chain.

2024 Journal of Water Process Engineering 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Effective degradation of polystyrene microplastics by Ti/La/Co-Sb-SnO2 anodes: Enhanced electrocatalytic stability and electrode lifespan

Researchers developed a new electrode that can break down polystyrene microplastics in water through an electrical process called electrocatalytic oxidation. By adding cobalt as an intermediate layer, they significantly extended the electrode's lifespan without sacrificing its ability to degrade microplastics. The study suggests this technology could offer a practical and durable method for removing microplastic pollution from water.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of polystyrene nanoplastics from urban treated wastewater by electrochemical oxidation

Scientists demonstrated a new method for removing polystyrene nanoplastics from treated wastewater using electrochemical oxidation with a special diamond-coated electrode. The technique achieved over 90% removal of the nanoplastics and reduced the toxicity of treated water to non-toxic levels. This approach could be a practical addition to existing wastewater treatment to address nanoplastic pollution that slips through conventional systems.

2025 Separation and Purification Technology 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of high-density polyethylene microplastics on TiO2-modified boron-doped diamond photoanode

Scientists developed a new method using a light-activated diamond electrode to break down high-density polyethylene microplastics, achieving nearly 90% degradation in 10 hours. This photoelectrocatalytic approach is the first of its kind for HDPE and works at lower energy levels than previous methods. Developing effective ways to destroy microplastics is important for cleaning up contaminated water and reducing human exposure.

2024 iScience 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Electrochemical oxidation degradation of polystyrene nanoplastics by Sm-Mn intermediate layer Ti/Sb-SnO2 anode: Composite metal elements enhance electron transfer and promote the generation of hydroxyl radicals

Researchers developed a titanium anode co-doped with samarium and manganese to electrochemically degrade polystyrene nanoplastics in water, achieving 58.75% removal efficiency and an 825-hour electrode lifespan, with density functional theory calculations revealing that the bimetal synergy accelerates electron transfer and hydroxyl radical generation that cleave plastic polymer chains.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution reduction by a carbon and nitrogen-doped TiO2: Effect of pH and temperature in the photocatalytic degradation process

Scientists tested a carbon and nitrogen-doped TiO2 photocatalyst for degrading microplastics and found that degradation efficiency depended strongly on pH and temperature, with optimal conditions achieving significant surface mineralization of tested polymer types.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 432 citations
Article Tier 2

Electrochemical Oxidation of Selected Micropollutants from Environment Matrices Using Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes: Process Efficiency and Transformation Product Detection

This study applied electrochemical oxidation to degrade selected micropollutants from real environmental water matrices, evaluating electrode materials and operating conditions. The approach achieved high removal efficiency for persistent contaminants that resist conventional wastewater treatment.

2024 Water 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic removal from urban stormwater: Current treatments and research gaps

Researchers investigated the phototransformation of polystyrene microplastics under simulated solar radiation, finding surface oxidation and formation of carbonyl groups after UV exposure. Photo-aged particles showed increased release of dissolved organic carbon and greater toxicity to marine copepods.

2022 Journal of Environmental Management 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastics on organotins’ photodegradation in aquatic environments

Researchers found that polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and polymethyl methacrylate microplastics differentially affect the photodegradation of organotin compounds in aquatic environments, with microplastics both adsorbing organotins and altering their photolytic breakdown pathways depending on polymer type.

2020 Environmental Pollution 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the influence of polystyrene microplastics in wastewater on anode biofilm viability and electron transfer in microbial fuel cells performance

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics in wastewater reduce the electricity-generating ability of microbial fuel cells — devices that use bacteria to turn waste into power — by disrupting the bacterial biofilms that transfer electrons to electrodes. Carbon-based electrodes were more resistant to microplastic interference than metal ones, suggesting material choice matters when designing systems treating microplastic-contaminated water.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Kinetic and mechanistic insights into the photo-Fenton oxidation of polystyrene nanoplastics in water

Researchers investigated photo-Fenton oxidation kinetics and mechanisms for polystyrene nanoplastics across five initial particle sizes (140 to 1100 nm) in water, tracking treatment efficiency via turbidity and total organic carbon measurements and using transmission electron microscopy to characterize structural changes, finding that initial particle size influenced degradation rates.

2025 Journal of Water Process Engineering
Article Tier 2

Insights into the degradation of microplastics by Fenton oxidation: From surface modification to mineralization

Researchers investigated Fenton oxidation of five common microplastic types, finding that while bulk particles showed modest weight losses of around 10%, polystyrene nanoplastics achieved 70% mineralization, with aromatic polymers being more susceptible to degradation.

2022 Chemosphere 131 citations
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic and biological technologies for elimination of microplastics in water: Current status

This review examines emerging photocatalytic and biological technologies for breaking down microplastics in water, since conventional treatment facilities can capture but not fully destroy these particles. Researchers found that while photocatalysis and microbial degradation show promise, their effectiveness varies widely and the underlying mechanisms are only partly understood. The study highlights the urgent need for more efficient solutions to eliminate rather than simply filter out microplastic pollution from water supplies.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 137 citations
Article Tier 2

Photodegradation of microplastics through nanomaterials: Insights into photocatalysts modification and detailed mechanisms

This review explores how nanomaterial-enhanced photocatalysts can break down microplastics that conventional water treatment fails to remove. The paper details key strategies like element doping and heterojunction construction that improve degradation efficiency, and explains the underlying mechanisms involving free radical formation and singlet oxygen oxidation.

2024 Preprints.org 8 citations