Papers

61,005 results
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Review Tier 2

Removal of microplastics and nanoplastics in water treatment processes: A systematic literature review

Researchers systematically reviewed 103 studies across 26 water treatment plants in 12 countries to assess how well various technologies remove microplastics and nanoplastics from drinking water, finding that while coagulation, filtration, and advanced treatments help, significant gaps remain. The review identifies that no single process achieves complete removal, leaving microplastics as a persistent contaminant in treated water supplies.

2024 Journal of Water Process Engineering 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of nanoparticles (both inorganic nanoparticles and nanoplastics) in drinking water treatment – coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation, and sand/granular activated carbon filtration

Researchers reviewed the removal of inorganic nanoparticles and nanoplastics during conventional drinking water treatment, finding that coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation and sand/granular activated carbon filtration can substantially reduce nanoparticle concentrations but with variable efficiency depending on particle type.

2022 Environmental Science Water Research & Technology 34 citations
Article Tier 2

The potential risks posed by micro-nanoplastics to the safety of disinfected drinking water

This review examines the risks that micro- and nanoplastics pose to the safety of disinfected drinking water. Researchers found that common disinfection processes like ozone, chlorine, and UV treatment can actually make plastics more harmful by promoting leaching of organic compounds and generating disinfection byproducts. The study suggests that enhanced treatment technologies such as advanced coagulation, membrane filtration, and improved detection methods are needed to effectively remove these contaminants and prevent secondary hazards.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Treatment processes for microplastics and nanoplastics in waters: State-of-the-art review

This review summarized established and emerging treatment processes for removing microplastics and nanoplastics from drinking water and wastewater, evaluating coagulation, membrane filtration, advanced oxidation, and biological treatment in terms of removal efficiency and operational feasibility.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Developments in the Application of Nanomaterials for Water Treatment and Their Impact on the Environment

This review covers the application of nanomaterials for water treatment and remediation, evaluating how nanomaterial properties enable removal of pollutants including heavy metals, organic contaminants, and microplastics. It surveys the current state of research and discusses practical challenges for scaling up nanomaterial-based water treatment.

2020 Nanomaterials 196 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, Fate, and Treatment of Micro/Nano Plastics in Drinking Water Sources

This review examines the occurrence, fate, and treatment of micro- and nanoplastics in drinking water sources, covering how these particles enter water supplies and what treatment technologies exist to remove them. The authors note significant gaps in both detection methods and removal efficiency.

2024 Water and waste water management
Article Tier 2

A Perspective on Green Solutions and Future Research Paths for Microplastic and Nanoplastic Contamination in Drinking Water

This review examines the presence of microplastics and nanoplastics in drinking water and evaluates current and emerging technologies for their detection and removal. The researchers highlight that conventional water treatment plants are not fully equipped to remove the smallest plastic particles, and that improved monitoring and green remediation technologies are needed. The study underscores the importance of developing better methods to protect drinking water supplies from plastic contamination.

2024 CLEAN - Soil Air Water 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Drinking Water: A Review of Sources, Removal, Detection, Occurrence, and Potential Risks

This review examines how microplastics enter drinking water supply systems, evaluates methods for their detection and removal, and summarizes what is known about their occurrence in treated water. Researchers found that while conventional water treatment removes a significant portion of microplastics, no current method eliminates them completely. The study highlights the need for improved monitoring standards and further research into the long-term health effects of ingesting microplastics through drinking water.

2025 Toxics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of nanoplastics in water treatment processes: A review

This review examines technologies for removing nanoplastics from water, noting that conventional treatment processes effective for larger plastics often fail to capture these tiny particles. Researchers evaluated emerging methods including microbial degradation, membrane filtration, and photocatalysis, finding that combined approaches offer the best removal rates. The study highlights that more research is needed to develop practical, large-scale solutions for nanoplastic contamination in drinking water and wastewater.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 146 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of microplastics via drinking water treatment: Current knowledge and future directions

This review examines what is currently known about microplastics in drinking water systems and how well existing water treatment processes remove them. Researchers found that while conventional treatment steps like coagulation and filtration do reduce microplastic levels, significant amounts can still persist through to tap water. The study calls for more research into optimizing treatment processes and developing monitoring strategies specifically targeting microplastic contamination in drinking water.

2020 Chemosphere 386 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficacy of Nanoparticles in Water Treatment

This overview reviews how engineered nanoparticles can improve conventional water treatment by selectively removing heavy metals, organic pollutants, and pathogens through adsorption and catalytic degradation. While promising, the authors note that the potential toxicity of nanoparticles to humans and ecosystems must be resolved before they can be widely deployed as safe water purification tools.

2023 Journal of Mines Metals and Fuels 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Differences of microplastics and nanoplastics in urban waters: Environmental behaviors, hazards, and removal

This review compares microplastics and nanoplastics in urban water systems, finding that nanoplastics are harder to remove but potentially more dangerous because their tiny size allows them to penetrate human tissue barriers more easily. The authors evaluate emerging technologies like advanced filtration and chemical oxidation that could help remove these particles from drinking water and wastewater.

2024 Water Research 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of the Efficiency of Drinking Water Treatment Systems in the Removal of Microplastics

Researchers analysed the efficiency of drinking water treatment systems in removing microplastics — primarily PET, PP, PS, and PVC fibres and fragments — from source water, reviewing how physical, chemical, and biological treatment stages contribute to reduction. The review also evaluates associated health risks including inflammation, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and genetic damage linked to microplastic exposure via drinking water.

2024 Universidad Industrial de Santander
Review Tier 2

Review of Advanced Water Treatment for Removal of Nanoplastic Pollution

This review evaluates drinking water treatment technologies for removing nanoplastics, finding that combined coagulation, flocculation, and filtration achieves up to 99.9% removal efficiency. As nanoplastics are detected in drinking water globally and cannot be degraded in the environment or human body, identifying effective removal processes is directly relevant to protecting public health.

2023 CIVED 1 citations
Article Tier 2

What have we known so far about microplastics in drinking water treatment? A timely review

This review summarizes research on microplastic occurrence and removal in drinking water treatment, covering both laboratory and full-scale studies through August 2021. Researchers found that conventional treatment processes like coagulation-flocculation, membrane filtration, and sand filtration are generally effective at reducing microplastics in water, though results vary widely depending on conditions. The study identifies key factors influencing removal efficiency and highlights the need for further research on nanoplastics in drinking water.

2021 Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Water: Occurrence, Human Health Impact and Methods of Analysis

This review covers the occurrence of microplastics in water sources globally, summarizing human health impacts from ingestion and inhalation, and evaluating available treatment technologies for removing microplastics from drinking water. The authors conclude that conventional water treatment is insufficient for complete microplastic removal.

2024 Oriental Journal Of Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Problems, Challenges, and Removing Methods of Micro Plastics from Water

This review examines the presence of microplastics in drinking water — both tap and bottled — and the technologies available to remove them. Microplastics have been detected in drinking water worldwide, and while conventional treatment removes some particles, smaller nanoplastics largely pass through. The authors assess filtration, coagulation, and advanced treatment options for improving microplastic removal in drinking water systems.

2021 International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology
Article Tier 2

Micro- and Nano-Plastics in Drinking Water: Threat or Hype? Critical State-of-the-Art Analysis of Risks and Approaches

This analysis critically reviewed the evidence on whether microplastics and nanoplastics in drinking water pose genuine health risks to humans. Researchers found that while contamination is widespread, definitive proof that microplastics cause harm at real-world environmental concentrations has not yet been established. The study examines advanced water treatment technologies and calls for improved detection methods and more realistic exposure studies before drawing firm conclusions about health threats.

2025 Journal of Xenobiotics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Potentially Toxic Elements and Microplastics in the Water Treatment Facility

Researchers evaluated potentially toxic elements and microplastics throughout a water treatment facility, finding both contaminant classes present at various treatment stages and raising concerns about the adequacy of current drinking water purification.

2024 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Advanced Nanotechnology in Wastewater Treatment: Investigating the Role of Nanoparticles in Pollutant Removal, Water Recovery, and Environmental Sustainability

This review examines how nanotechnology-based approaches — including nanoparticle adsorbents, nanofiltration membranes, and photocatalysts — can address persistent water pollutants including pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and heavy metals more effectively than conventional treatment methods.

2025 Scholars Journal of Engineering and Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics toxicity, detection, and removal from water/wastewater

This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on microplastic toxicity and methods for detecting and removing them from water and wastewater. It covers the health risks posed by microplastics, including their ability to carry harmful chemicals and pathogens, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of various removal technologies. The authors highlight that while some treatment methods can remove most microplastics, no single approach is fully effective, and better solutions are needed to protect drinking water supplies.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Coagulation of TiO2, CeO2 nanoparticles, and polystyrene nanoplastics in bottled mineral and surface waters. Effect of water properties, coagulant type, and dosage

Polyaluminum chloride was more effective than iron chloride at coagulating TiO2, CeO2 nanoparticles, and polystyrene nanoplastics in drinking water sources, requiring lower doses to achieve particle removal. Nanoplastics were harder to coagulate than metal oxide nanoparticles, indicating that current water treatment practices may inadequately remove plastic nanoparticles from drinking water.

2020 Water Environment Research 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Nano-Engineering for Clean Water Solutions

Scientists have reviewed how tiny engineered particles (nanotechnology) can help clean water by removing dangerous pollutants like heavy metals, leftover medicines, and microplastics that traditional filters often miss. These nano-scale materials work better than current methods because they can target specific contaminants and use less energy. While this technology shows great promise for providing safer drinking water worldwide, researchers still need to study whether these tiny particles themselves might be harmful to people or the environment.

2026 International Journal of Integrated Research and Practice
Article Tier 2

[Research Progress on Colloid Pump Effect of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Drinking Water].

Micro- and nanoplastics are present throughout the entire drinking water treatment process, from source water to tap water, and their large surface areas allow them to adsorb other contaminants — a phenomenon called the 'colloid pump effect' — amplifying their toxicity. This review highlights that conventional treatment steps like coagulation and sand filtration have limited effectiveness against very small plastic particles, pointing to an urgent need for advanced treatment technologies to protect drinking water safety.

2023 PubMed 1 citations