Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable and re-usable sponge materials made from chitin for efficient removal of microplastics

Researchers developed biodegradable sponges made from chitin, a natural material, that can effectively remove tiny microplastic particles smaller than 3 micrometers from water. The sponges achieved removal rates of up to 92% and could be reused for multiple cycles while remaining safe for aquatic organisms. This green approach offers a promising, environmentally friendly method for cleaning microplastics from water systems.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 214 citations
Article Tier 2

Revivable self-assembled supramolecular biomass fibrous framework for efficient microplastic removal

Scientists developed a sustainable material made from chitin and cellulose, two natural compounds, that can efficiently remove multiple types of microplastics from water. The material can be regenerated and reused multiple times without losing effectiveness, making it a practical tool for water cleanup. This type of affordable, eco-friendly filtration technology could help reduce human exposure to microplastics in drinking water.

2024 Science Advances 65 citations
Article Tier 2

A Chitosan Nanofiber Sponge for Oyster-Inspired Filtration of Microplastics

An ultralight chitosan nanofiber sponge was developed as a filtration material for removing microplastics from water, inspired by oyster filtration biology, and demonstrated high removal efficiency for polystyrene microplastics in lab tests while being biodegradable and made from renewable chitosan feedstock.

2021 ACS Applied Polymer Materials 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Inherently Micro/Nano‐Patterned and Hydrophobic‐Hydrophilic Inlay Natural Material Assembly for Efficient Nanoplastics Removal

Researchers developed an eco-friendly sponge made from natural pollen and chitin that can efficiently remove nanoplastics from contaminated water. The material achieved an adsorption capacity of over 236 milligrams per gram by combining hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties to attract and trap tiny plastic particles. The study demonstrates that nature-inspired materials could offer a sustainable and effective approach to cleaning nanoplastic pollution from wastewater.

2025 Advanced Functional Materials 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Highly Efficient, Recyclable Microplastic Adsorption Enabled by Chitin Hydrogen Bond Network Rearrangement

Scientists developed a foam made from chitin, a natural material found in seafood shells, that can absorb over 400 milligrams of nano-sized microplastics per gram of material, even in saltwater. This recyclable, sustainable approach could help clean microplastics from ocean water, and the recovered plastic can be converted into useful products.

2024 Advanced Functional Materials 52 citations
Article Tier 2

An ultra-light sustainable sponge for elimination of microplastics and nanoplastics

Researchers created an ultra-light sponge from corn starch and gelatin that can capture micro- and nanoplastics from water and food with up to 90% efficiency by simple pressing. The sponge is fully biodegradable and can be broken down by enzymes into glucose after use. The study presents a low-cost, sustainable tool for removing tiny plastic particles from contaminated environments without creating additional waste.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Wood-Mimetic hierarchical porous sponges from Chitosan and tannin for efficient microplastic remediation and Closed-loop upcycling

Scientists created a natural sponge made from chitosan (a substance from shellfish) and tannins (plant compounds) that can remove over 96% of tiny plastic particles from water in just 6 hours. The sponge mimics the structure of wood and can trap different types of microplastics, which are harmful particles that contaminate our drinking water and food supply. After the sponge is used up, it can be recycled into a device that purifies water using solar energy, making this a sustainable solution for cleaning up plastic pollution.

2026 Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials
Article Tier 2

Nature-derived hydrogel for microplastic removal

Scientists developed a nature-based hydrogel made from chitin and lignin that can remove nanoplastics from wastewater with very high efficiency, absorbing up to 1,791 milligrams of plastic per gram of material. This sustainable, reusable filter could help reduce the amount of tiny plastic particles that reach drinking water and ultimately the human body.

2025 Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Hybrid Chitin-Coffee Ground Biochar Foam for Microplastic Adsorption

Researchers developed a sustainable hybrid foam made from waste seafood chitin and used coffee ground biochar for filtering microplastics from water. The study found that the foam achieved consistently high adsorption efficiency across seawater, river water, and deionized water, particularly for polystyrene microspheres larger than 1 micrometer, offering an eco-friendly approach to microplastic removal.

2026 American journal of student research.
Article Tier 2

Efficacy of bacterial cellulose hydrogel in microfiber removal from contaminated waters: A sustainable approach to wastewater treatment

Researchers developed a bacterial cellulose hydrogel made from unused cellulose remnants and tested it as an eco-friendly filter for removing microfibers from contaminated water. The hydrogel achieved an average removal rate of nearly 94 percent and retained the captured fibers well, releasing only about 8 percent after washing. The study presents this bio-based approach as a sustainable and effective alternative for tackling microfiber pollution in wastewater.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Toward the review on sustainable elimination of microplastics: Materials, strategies, and advantages

This review evaluates sustainable approaches for removing microplastics using natural materials — including sponges, gels, enzymes, and microorganisms — comparing their mechanisms, efficiencies, and advantages over conventional chemical removal methods.

2025 Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy
Article Tier 2

Scalable Bamboo Fiber/Microfibrillated Cellulose Foam via Solvent‐Exchange‐Assisted Ambient Drying for Highly Efficient Microplastics Capture

Researchers developed a scalable bamboo fiber and microfibrillated cellulose foam for capturing microplastics from water, achieving 99.4% filtration efficiency with high flow rates. The foam was fabricated using an energy-efficient ambient drying process without toxic crosslinkers, and demonstrated excellent reusability and effectiveness across various plastic types and real water samples. The study presents a sustainable, high-performance approach to microplastic remediation in aquatic environments.

2025 Advanced Functional Materials 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Biocompatible materials as a sustainable solution to micro- and nanoplastic remediation and their challenges

This review evaluates biocompatible materials—including chitosan, cellulose, and biopolymers—as sustainable sorbents for removing micro- and nanoplastics from water, highlighting their advantages of biodegradability and low toxicity compared to conventional treatment media.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Nanomaterials For Removal Of Microplastics Removal In Aquatic Ecosystems

This study explores the potential of biodegradable nanomaterials made from natural polymers like chitosan, cellulose, and lignin to remove microplastics from water. These materials have high surface areas and can be engineered to selectively attract and capture plastic particles through surface interactions. The approach offers a greener alternative to conventional filtration and chemical treatment methods, which are often energy-intensive and can create secondary pollution.

2025 International Journal of Environmental Sciences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Tiered biomimetic polydimethylsiloxane coated polyurethane sponge for sustainable seawater nanoplastic removal

Researchers developed a superhydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane-coated polyurethane sponge inspired by biomimetic tiered design that achieves a nanoplastic sorption capacity of 406.9 mg/g, removing 96.2% of 240 nm polystyrene nanoplastics in scaled-up experiments with 91.7% retention after 30 regeneration cycles.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Removal of Nanoplastics from Copollutant Systems Using Seaweed Cellulose Nanofibers

Researchers developed biodegradable nanofibers derived from seaweed cellulose that can efficiently remove nanoplastics from contaminated water, even when other pollutants like heavy metals or dyes are present. Both positively and negatively charged versions of the nanofibers achieved high removal rates for polystyrene nanoplastics across a range of water conditions. The study presents an eco-friendly filtration material that could help address the growing challenge of nanoplastic contamination in drinking water sources.

2024 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Bacterial cellulose biopolymers: The sustainable solution to water-polluting microplastics

Researchers developed bacterial cellulose (BC) biopolymer filters as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based polymer filters used in wastewater treatment plant microplastic removal. BC filters showed high MP capture efficiency and are biodegradable, addressing both microplastic pollution and the environmental costs of conventional synthetic filter maintenance.

2022 Water Research 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Ultralight sponge made from sodium alginate with processability and stability for efficient removal of microplastics

Researchers developed an ultralight sponge made from sodium alginate, a natural seaweed-derived material, that can efficiently capture and remove microplastics from water. The sponge demonstrated high water absorption and strong microplastic removal capabilities while remaining stable and reusable. The study suggests this low-cost, biodegradable material could be a practical solution for filtering microplastic pollution from marine environments.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Scalable nanoplastic degradation in water with enzyme-functionalized porous hydrogels

Researchers developed a sponge-like material loaded with plastic-eating enzymes that can break down nanoplastics (ultra-tiny plastic particles) in water. The enzyme-loaded sponges worked as well as free-floating enzymes but were more stable and could be reused multiple times. This approach could offer a practical way to clean nanoplastic contamination from drinking water and other water sources.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Utilization of chitosan as a natural coagulant for polyethylene microplastic removal

Scientists tested chitosan, a natural material derived from shellfish, as an eco-friendly way to remove polyethylene microplastics from water. Under the best conditions (pH 6.0 with 100 mg/L of chitosan), the treatment removed 81.5% of microplastics, offering a promising and environmentally safe approach to cleaning microplastic-contaminated water.

2025 Sustainable Chemistry for the Environment 12 citations