Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on tertiary/quaternary treatment of urban wastewater: Fe-biochar/peroxymonosulfate/sunlight vs solar photo-Fenton

Researchers evaluated how microplastics present in secondary-treated urban wastewater affect the degradation of four pharmaceutical micropollutants and the inactivation of antibiotic-resistant E. coli using two advanced oxidation processes. Microplastics were found to influence the performance of both iron-modified biochar/peroxymonosulfate and solar photo-Fenton treatments.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Activation of peroxymonosulfate by(sunlight)FeCl3-modified biochar for efficient degradation of contaminants of emerging concern: Comparison with H2O2 and effect of microplastics

Researchers investigated how microplastics affect the ability of iron-modified biochar to break down emerging contaminants in wastewater when activated by peroxymonosulfate and sunlight. Surprisingly, they found that the presence of microplastics actually enhanced the treatment efficiency by up to 42%. The study demonstrates that the coexistence of microplastics and biochar in wastewater can influence the effectiveness of advanced oxidation treatment processes.

2025 Chemical Engineering Journal 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on urban wastewater disinfection and impact on effluent reuse: Sunlight/H2O2 vs solar photo-Fenton at neutral pH

Researchers found that microplastics interfere with the inactivation of E. coli in urban wastewater during advanced oxidation processes (sunlight/H2O2 and solar photo-Fenton), with higher microplastic concentrations reducing bacterial inactivation efficiency and complicating effluent reuse.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient tetracycline hydrochloride degradation via peroxymonosulfate activation by N doped coagulated sludge based biochar: Insights on the nonradical pathway

Researchers found a way to repurpose waste sludge from microplastic removal processes by converting it into a nitrogen-doped carbon material that can break down the antibiotic tetracycline in water. The recycled material performed well across a wide pH range and worked primarily through a nonradical pathway to degrade the antibiotic. The study offers a dual benefit approach that addresses both microplastic waste management and antibiotic contamination in water systems.

2024 Environmental Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Peroxymonosulfate activation by microplastics coagulated sludge-derived iron-carbon composite for effective degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride: Performance and mechanism

This study used a one-step pyrolysis method to convert microplastic-containing coagulated sewage sludge into an iron-carbon composite, which was then used to activate peroxymonosulfate for degrading tetracycline hydrochloride. The approach simultaneously addressed microplastic waste disposal and antibiotic contamination removal.

2023 Chemical Engineering Journal 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms of microorganisms and environmentally persistent free radicals in biochar/PMS degradation of antibiotics after the aging process of fermentation

Researchers studied how microbial aging of biochar via anaerobic fermentation affects the degradation of antibiotics using biochar/peroxymonosulfate systems, finding that microplastic-aged biochar altered the formation of persistent free radicals and reduced antibiotic removal efficiency.

2025 Environmental Technology
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastics and environmentally persistent free radicals on the ability of biochar components to promote degradation of antibiotics by activated peroxymonosulfate

Researchers investigated how microplastics and environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) together influence the activity of soil enzymes, finding that combined exposure produced greater inhibition of dehydrogenase and urease activity than either contaminant alone. The results indicate EPFRs can amplify the toxic effects of microplastics on soil microbial processes.

2024 Environmental Pollution 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochar/Clay Composite Particle Immobilized Compound Bacteria: Preparation, Collaborative Degradation Performance and Environmental Tolerance

Not a microplastics paper — this study develops a biochar-clay composite material colonized by two bacterial species to remove ammonia and petroleum hydrocarbons from contaminated surface water, finding the combined system outperforms single-bacteria approaches.

2023 Water 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging contaminants in polluted waters: Harnessing Biochar's potential for effective treatment

This review explores how biochar, a carbon-rich material made from organic waste, can be used to remove a wide range of pollutants from contaminated water, including microplastics, heavy metals, antibiotics, and PFAS. Biochar works through multiple mechanisms like adsorption, electrostatic interactions, and chemical bonding, and can be enhanced through surface modifications. The study highlights biochar as a low-cost, adaptable tool for addressing emerging water contaminants.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Sludge-derived biochar: A review on the influence of synthesis conditions on environmental risk reduction and removal mechanism of wastewater pollutants

This paper is not about microplastics; it reviews methods for preparing biochar from sewage sludge and its use in removing heavy metals and organic pollutants from wastewater.

2023 Archives of Environmental Protection 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Elimination of chloramphenicol through electro-fenton-like reaction: Reaction mechanism and electron transfer pathway

An electro-Fenton-like process using peroxymonosulfate activation was developed to degrade the antibiotic chloramphenicol, achieving complete removal within 16 minutes with a kinetic rate constant of 0.089 per minute and low energy consumption of 25.1 kWh per cubic meter.

2023 npj Clean Water 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Tertiary/quaternary treatment of urban wastewater by UV/H2O2 or ozonation: Microplastics may affect removal of E. coli and contaminants of emerging concern

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics interfere with UV/hydrogen peroxide and ozonation treatments used to disinfect urban wastewater. They found that increasing microplastic concentrations reduced the effectiveness of both treatment methods at killing E. coli bacteria and degrading pharmaceutical contaminants. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in wastewater could compromise advanced treatment processes designed to protect public health.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Engineered biochar for simultaneous removal of heavy metals and organic pollutants from wastewater: mechanisms, efficiency, and applications

Despite its title referencing wastewater treatment and biochar, this review paper focuses on using chemically modified charcoal (engineered biochar) to simultaneously remove heavy metals and organic chemical pollutants from water — not microplastic pollution. It examines adsorption mechanisms and remediation performance for metal and organic contaminants, and is not specifically relevant to microplastics or human health impacts of plastic pollution.

2025 Biochar X 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Catalytic removal of attached tetrabromobisphenol A from microplastic surface by biochar activating oxidation and its impact on potential of disinfection by-products formation

Researchers developed a magnetic biochar-based catalyst that achieved 97% removal of tetrabromobisphenol A from microplastic surfaces and reduced disinfection by-product formation potential by 76% during chlorination treatment.

2022 Water Research 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Clean water production from plastic and heavy metal contaminated waters using redox-sensitive iron nanoparticle-loaded biochar

Researchers developed a biochar material loaded with iron nanoparticles that can simultaneously remove nanoplastics and heavy metal ions from contaminated water. The material achieved over 90 percent removal across a range of water conditions and worked effectively in both batch and continuous-flow tests. The study presents a practical, low-cost approach for cleaning up water polluted with both plastic particles and toxic metals.

2023 Environmental Research 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable removal of contaminants of emerging concern from wastewater by the living membrane bioreactor: effect of the co-occurrence of microplastics and antibiotics

Researchers investigated a living membrane bioreactor (LMBR) for removing the antibiotic ofloxacin and oxidized polyethylene microplastics from urban wastewater, finding that the biological membrane effectively retained both contaminants of emerging concern and that microplastics acted as antibiotic carriers, with their co-presence influencing overall removal efficiency.

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

Comprehensive assessment of chlorination disinfection on microplastic-associated biofilms

Researchers tested how well chlorine disinfection works against biofilms that form on microplastic surfaces in water. They found that while chlorination effectively killed bacteria on the microplastics, some resistant species survived and the process altered the microbial community structure. The findings suggest that microplastics in water systems may harbor bacteria that are harder to eliminate through standard disinfection methods.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of sulfamethoxazole using Fe-Mn biochar filtration columns: Influence of co-existing polystyrene microplastics

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics affect the removal of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole using iron-manganese modified biochar filtration columns. They found that the presence of microplastics significantly reduced antibiotic retention due to competitive sorption, with the effect varying depending on water pH. The study highlights that co-occurring microplastics in wastewater can interfere with contaminant removal systems, potentially allowing more antibiotics to pass through treatment processes.

2024 Journal of Cleaner Production 10 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Degradation of Water Pollutants by Biochar Combined with Advanced Oxidation: A Systematic Review

This systematic review found that biochar combined with advanced oxidation processes is an effective and environmentally friendly approach for degrading organic pollutants in water. The catalytic activity depends on biochar's functional groups, metal components, and preparation methods, making this technology relevant for breaking down emerging contaminants including microplastics in aquatic environments.

2024 Water 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Total coliform and Escherichia coli in microplastic biofilms grown in wastewater and inactivation by peracetic acid

Researchers found that microplastics support the growth of fecal indicator bacteria including E. coli in biofilms, and that these biofilm communities are more resistant to disinfection by peracetic acid than free-floating cells. The findings support concerns that microplastics act as vectors for pathogens and complicate wastewater disinfection.

2020 Water Environment Research 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Urban and Industrial Wastewater Disinfection and Decontamination by Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs): Current Issues and Future Trends

This review examined advanced oxidation processes for disinfecting and removing contaminants from urban and industrial wastewater before release into the environment. These treatment technologies can also help break down microplastics and associated chemical pollutants in wastewater.

2021 Water 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental and Economic Evaluation of Biochar Application in Wastewater and Sludge Treatment

This chapter reviews how biochar — a carbon-rich material made from organic waste — can remove microplastics, heavy metals, and organic pollutants from wastewater and sludge. Biochar is presented as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly treatment option compared to conventional technologies.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Norfloxacin removal by ultraviolet-activated sodium percarbonate and sodium hypochlorite: process optimization and anion effect

This paper is not about microplastics; it evaluates UV-activated chemical processes for removing the antibiotic norfloxacin from water.

2023 Water Science & Technology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent advancement in microplastic removal process from wastewater - A critical review

This review of over 250 studies examines physical, chemical, and biological methods for removing microplastics from wastewater, finding that biochar filtration is among the most effective approaches. Effective removal of microplastics from water is important because these particles can accumulate in the food chain and pose risks to human health.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 45 citations