Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Polystyrene (PS) Degradation Induced by Nanosecond Electric Discharge in Air in Contact with PS/Water

Researchers assessed the degradation efficiency of polystyrene microplastics by nanosecond electric discharge in air in contact with water, evaluating plasma-based treatment as an alternative to conventional water treatment methods that fail to remove plastics. The study quantified polystyrene degradation and characterized breakdown products under different discharge conditions.

2024 Plasma 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing nanoplastics removal by metal ion-catalyzed ozonation

Researchers found that while standard ozone water treatment reduced the size of polystyrene nanoplastics by over 99% in under five minutes, it left behind smaller fragments and achieved only 16% actual destruction; adding cobalt as a catalyst dramatically improved breakdown to 70% mineralization. The findings reveal an important trade-off: ozonation used for water disinfection may actually generate more, smaller nanoplastic particles unless a catalytic process is included.

2024 Chemical Engineering Journal Advances 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Oxidation of polystyrene nanoparticles using ozonation under catalytic and non-catalytic conditions

This study tested whether ozone treatment — a powerful oxidant used in water treatment — can break down polystyrene nanoparticles, which persist through conventional water treatment processes. Ozonation achieved partial degradation of the nanoplastics under both catalytic and non-catalytic conditions, with surface oxidation and chain scission as the main degradation mechanisms. The findings suggest advanced oxidation processes could be adapted to remove nanoplastics from drinking water, a critical gap in current treatment infrastructure.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Complete degradation of polystyrene microplastics through non-thermal plasma-assisted catalytic oxidation

Researchers developed a two-stage non-thermal plasma system for degrading polystyrene microplastics at low temperatures. Using dielectric barrier discharge plasma coupled with a catalytic oxidation step, they achieved near-complete conversion of polystyrene particles to carbon dioxide within 60 minutes. The study demonstrates a promising technology for breaking down microplastic pollution without requiring high-temperature incineration.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced ozonation of polystyrene nanoplastics in water with CeOx@MnOx catalyst

Researchers developed a core-shell CeOx@MnOx catalyst to enhance ozone-based degradation of polystyrene nanoplastics in water, finding that the catalyst significantly improved removal efficiency. The system offers a promising approach for treating nanoplastic-contaminated water given the difficulty of natural decomposition.

2023 Environmental Research 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient degradation of polystyrene microplastic pollutants in soil by dielectric barrier discharge plasma

Researchers used a plasma-based technique called dielectric barrier discharge to break down polystyrene microplastics in soil and achieved a degradation rate of nearly 99 percent within one hour. The process works by generating reactive oxygen species that chemically decompose the plastic, converting most of it into carbon dioxide. The study presents this technology as a fast and energy-efficient approach for treating microplastic-contaminated soil.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the Effectiveness of O2 Plasma Pretreatment for the Decomposition of (Micro)Plastics in Water

Researchers investigated whether oxygen plasma pretreatment could enhance the decomposition of microplastics in water. The study evaluated this approach as a potential solution for breaking down plastic particles that serve as carriers of contaminants in aquatic environments, contributing to the search for effective technologies to address waterborne microplastic pollution.

2025 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient extraction of polystyrene nanoplastics from water using an ionic liquid

Researchers developed an ionic liquid-based extraction method for efficiently removing polystyrene nanoplastics from water samples. The technique achieved high recovery rates and demonstrated effectiveness for capturing particles at environmentally relevant concentrations. The study offers a promising analytical and remediation tool for addressing nanoplastic contamination in aquatic environments.

2025 Environmental Science Water Research & Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate and removal efficiency of polystyrene nanoplastics in a pilot drinking water treatment plant

Researchers investigated how effectively a pilot-scale drinking water treatment plant removes polystyrene nanoplastics. The study found that sand and activated carbon filtration alone achieved 88.1% removal, but adding a coagulation step dramatically improved removal efficiency to 99.4%, with most nanoplastics captured during the sand filtration process.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 87 citations
Article Tier 2

Degradation of Polystyrene Nanoplastics in UV/NaClO and UV/PMS Systems: Insights into Degradation Efficiency, Mechanism, and Toxicity Evaluation

Researchers tested two advanced oxidation methods for breaking down polystyrene nanoplastics in water and found that while both effectively reduced water cloudiness, neither completely destroyed the plastic particles. The UV/PMS system achieved about 29% mineralization compared to only 7% for UV/NaClO, though both generated some toxic byproducts. The study suggests that advanced oxidation processes show promise for nanoplastic removal from water but require further optimization to achieve complete degradation.

2023 Water 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Advanced polystyrene nanoplastic remediation through electro-Fenton process: Degradation mechanisms and pathways

Researchers developed a new method using an electro-Fenton process with a copper-cobalt catalyst to break down polystyrene nanoplastics in water, achieving nearly 95% removal efficiency. The system generates powerful molecules called hydroxyl radicals that chemically decompose the plastic particles. While this is a laboratory-scale study, it demonstrates a promising technology that could help remove nanoplastics from drinking water and wastewater.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 5 citations
Article Tier 2

A Study on the Degradation of Polymethyl Methacrylate Microplastics by Plasma Reaction System in Solution

Researchers used a plasma reaction system to degrade polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microplastics in water, finding that voltage, frequency, and hydrogen peroxide concentration all affected degradation rates. Plasma-based treatment systems show potential as an advanced approach to breaking down microplastic particles in contaminated water.

2023 Journal of the Korean Society for Environmental Technology
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

Atmospheric cold plasma as a novel approach to remediating microplastics pollution in water

Scientists demonstrated for the first time that atmospheric cold plasma — an energy-efficient technology that generates highly reactive molecules — can break down polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics in water. The treatment degraded the microplastics by up to 11% in just 30 minutes through oxidation reactions. While still in early stages, this low-cost approach could eventually become a practical method for removing microplastics from drinking and wastewater.

2024 Environmental Pollution 12 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

Current Approaches and Challenges in Advanced Oxidation Processes for Nanoplastic Degradation

This review evaluates current methods for breaking down nanoplastics in water, including ozonation, electrochemical treatment, photocatalysis, and plasma-based processes. Researchers found that while these advanced oxidation techniques show promise, significant gaps remain in treating plastic particles smaller than one micrometer. The study highlights the urgent need for better analytical methods and more effective treatment technologies to address nanoplastic pollution in water sources.

2025 Advanced Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Ozone-mediated breakdown of microplastics in aqueous environments

Researchers examined how ozone-based advanced oxidation processes break down microplastics in water treatment settings. They found that while ozone can degrade certain plastics, the effectiveness varies depending on particle size, polymer type, and treatment conditions, and the process may generate nanoplastic byproducts. The study highlights both the promise and limitations of ozone treatment as a strategy for removing microplastics from wastewater.

2025 Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 2 citations
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

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

Effect of ozonation on the morphological characteristics and adsorption behavior of polystyrene microplastics in aqueous environments

Researchers exposed polystyrene microplastics to ozone treatment and found that the aging process made the particles smaller, more negatively charged, and better at absorbing pollutants from water — meaning weathered microplastics in the environment may carry more harmful chemicals than fresh ones.

2025 Applied Water Science 11 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

Efficient removal of nanoplastics from synthetic wastewater using electrocoagulation

Researchers demonstrated that electrocoagulation using aluminum electrodes can remove more than 95% of polystyrene nanoplastics from synthetic wastewater, offering a promising treatment upgrade for conventional wastewater plants that currently allow nanoplastics to pass through.

2023 arXiv (Cornell University) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Su arıtımı için lazer yardımlı mikroplastik işleme ve izleme stratejisi geliştirilmesi

Researchers investigated laser-induced degradation of polystyrene microplastics in aqueous environments using three laser sources, finding that femtosecond laser irradiation achieved detectable microplastic degradation at concentrations as low as 2 fM with a maximum 42% decrease in particle number density. The study demonstrated ultrafast laser treatment as a potential technique for degrading highly dilute microplastic suspensions in water treatment applications.

2025 OpenMETU (Middle East Technical University)
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