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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Natural iron-containing minerals catalyze the degradation of polypropylene microplastics: a route to self-remediation learnt from the environment
ClearInsight into the Photodegradation of Microplastics Boosted by Iron (Hydr)oxides
Iron (hydr)oxide minerals goethite and hematite were found to significantly accelerate the photodegradation of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics under simulated sunlight, with goethite showing greater effect due to higher hydroxyl radical production via a light-driven Fenton reaction. The study reveals a previously overlooked natural mechanism by which common soil minerals can influence the environmental fate of microplastics.
Elucidating polyethylene microplastic degradation mechanisms and metabolic pathways via iron-enhanced microbiota dynamics in marine sediments
Researchers found that adding iron to marine sediment significantly boosted the ability of natural bacteria to break down polyethylene microplastics. The iron-enhanced conditions promoted the growth of specific bacterial species that produced enzymes capable of attacking the plastic's chemical bonds. While the degradation process is still slow, this approach offers a promising environmentally friendly strategy for reducing microplastic pollution in marine environments.
Photodegradation of microplastics mediated by different types of soil: The effect of soil components
Five soil types were found to mediate photodegradation of microplastics under simulated sunlight exposure, with mineral components including iron and manganese oxides accelerating oxidation and surface area changes, demonstrating that soil chemistry plays an important role in determining how quickly microplastics degrade in terrestrial environments.
Heteroaggregation of PS microplastic with ferrihydrite leads to rapid removal of microplastic particles from the water column
Researchers found that ferrihydrite, a natural iron mineral, rapidly removes polystyrene microplastics from the water column through heteroaggregation and enhanced sedimentation, suggesting natural mineral interactions may help sequester microplastics in aquatic environments.
Phototransformation of microplastic derived dissolved organic matter reduces its adsorption capacity on ferrihydrite: Effects of additive types
Researchers studied how sunlight-driven phototransformation of dissolved organic matter released by microplastics affects its ability to bind to iron minerals in sediments. The study found that phototransformation significantly reduced the adsorption capacity of microplastic-derived organic matter on ferrihydrite, with the type of plastic additive playing a key role in determining the extent of this change.
The Soil–Air Interface of Iron-Bearing Clay Minerals as an Overlooked Hotspot for Microplastics Photoaging
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (microplastics) break down much faster and become more toxic when they sit on soil containing iron-rich clay minerals and are exposed to sunlight. This breakdown process makes the plastic pieces more harmful to bacteria and potentially other living things, including humans who might be exposed through contaminated soil or food grown in it. The research shows that our soil may be creating "hotspots" where plastic pollution becomes even more dangerous over time.
Photoaging mechanisms of microplastics mediated by dissolved organic matter in an iron-rich aquatic environment
Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter and iron mediate the photoaging of PVC and PET microplastics, finding that humic acid and iron accelerate surface degradation and alter the environmental behavior and risks of aged microplastics.
Heteroaggregation of PS microplastic with ferrihydrite leads to rapid removal of microplastic particles from the water column
Researchers investigated heteroaggregation between polystyrene microplastics and ferrihydrite iron mineral particles, finding that this aggregation process leads to rapid removal of microplastic particles from the water column, with implications for understanding microplastic fate and transport in natural water systems.
How Heavy Metals Influence Microplastic Degradation: UV Absorption and Photoreactivity of Ps-fe₃o₄ Composites
Researchers examined how heavy metals, specifically iron oxide (Fe3O4), influence the UV absorption and photoreactivity of polystyrene microplastics when forming PS-Fe3O4 composite particles. The study found that iron oxide incorporation altered the photodegradation behavior of polystyrene microplastics, with implications for understanding microplastic weathering and associated pollutant release in natural environments.
Interactions between Iron Minerals and Dissolved Organic Matter Derived from Microplastics Inhibited the Ferrihydrite Transformation as Revealed at the Molecular Scale
Researchers studied how dissolved organic matter released from degrading microplastics interacts with iron minerals in the environment. They found that this microplastic-derived organic matter inhibited the natural transformation of ferrihydrite, an important iron mineral in soil and water systems. The study reveals that microplastic breakdown products can alter fundamental geochemical processes, potentially affecting nutrient cycling and pollutant behavior.
Natural sunlight-driven photocatalytic degradation of polypropylene microplastics over ZnO nanorods
Scientists developed a zinc oxide photocatalyst that, when exposed to natural sunlight, broke down polypropylene microplastics five times faster than natural degradation alone. The technology uses sunlight to trigger chemical reactions that oxidize and degrade the plastic particles. This approach represents a promising and sustainable method for cleaning up microplastic pollution in water, which could help reduce the amount of microplastics that eventually reach humans through the water supply.
Polypropylene microplastic degradation using ultraporous polarized hydroxyapatite and sunlight
Researchers demonstrated that ultraporous polarized hydroxyapatite combined with sunlight can degrade polypropylene microplastics, offering a photocatalytic approach that avoids energy-intensive treatment systems. The study presents a solar-driven degradation pathway using a biocompatible mineral material, with potential for both aquatic and terrestrial microplastic remediation.
Iron‐Based Catalysts for the Removal of Microplastics
This review evaluates the potential of iron-based catalysts for degrading microplastics in water through photocatalytic, Fenton, and electrocatalytic approaches. Researchers highlight the advantages of iron's abundance, low toxicity, and catalytic versatility for generating reactive oxygen species that can break down plastics. The study identifies challenges including scalability and catalyst recovery while recommending interdisciplinary collaboration to advance iron-based remediation solutions.
Ligand-promoted photoactivation aging of microplastics by composite clay minerals
This study found that naturally occurring organic compounds called ligands — which dissolve iron from clay minerals — can dramatically speed up the environmental weathering (aging) of microplastics when exposed to sunlight. In the presence of ligands, mass loss from microplastics over 15 days increased by 61%, driven by enhanced production of hydroxyl radicals that chemically attack the plastic surface. Understanding how quickly microplastics degrade in natural environments is important because aging changes their surface chemistry, making them more likely to adsorb and transport other pollutants.
Analysis of photocatalytic degradation of polyamide microplastics in metal salt solution by high resolution mass spectrometry
Researchers found that polyamide 6 microplastics can be almost completely degraded within 10 days using iron chloride as a photocatalyst under light irradiation, with high-resolution mass spectrometry revealing the degradation products and pathways involved.
Molecular-Scale Insights into the Surface Structural Transformation and Light-Driven Production of Reactive Oxygen Species of Goethite Induced by Microplastic-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter
Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter released from degrading microplastics interacts with the iron mineral goethite and affects the production of reactive oxygen species under sunlight. They found that microplastic-derived organic matter behaves differently from natural organic matter, producing distinct patterns of chemical reactivity on mineral surfaces. The study reveals a previously unrecognized way that microplastic degradation products can alter environmental chemistry.
Molecular Insights into the Synergistic Inhibition of Microplastics-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter and Anions on the Transformation of Ferrihydrite
Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter released from microplastics combines with naturally occurring ions to affect iron mineral transformations in the environment. They found that microplastic-derived organic matter and ions like phosphate work together to strongly inhibit the conversion of a reactive iron mineral called ferrihydrite. The findings matter because these iron minerals play key roles in nutrient cycling and pollutant fate in soils and waterways.
Photo-aging of polyvinyl chloride microplastic in the presence of natural organic acids
Researchers described a new photo-aging pathway for polyvinyl chloride microplastics in aquatic environments involving low-molecular-weight organic acids. The study found that natural organic acids and their iron complexes significantly accelerated the degradation of PVC microplastics under sunlight through hydroxyl radical generation, revealing how environmental conditions influence microplastic weathering.
Microplastic degradations in simulated UV light, natural light and natural water body: A comparison investigation
Researchers compared how microplastics made of PVC, polyethylene, and polyamide break down under UV light, natural sunlight, and real-world water body conditions, finding that natural environments cause more complex degradation involving both biofilm growth and heavy metal interactions. Importantly, microplastics in natural water can both release and re-absorb heavy metals over time, complicating their environmental risk profile.
Microbial iron mining: a nature-based solution for pollution removal and resource recovery from contaminated soils
Researchers reviewed microbial iron mining as a nature-based solution for removing pollution and recovering resources from contaminated soils. The study examines how iron-cycling microorganisms can remediate soils containing various pollutants including microplastics, offering a transformative approach aligned with UN ecosystem restoration goals.
The Photocatalytic Degradation of Enrofloxacin Using an Ecofriendly Natural Iron Mineral: The Relationship Between the Degradation Routes, Generated Byproducts, and Antimicrobial Activity of Treated Solutions
This paper is not relevant to microplastics research; it investigates the photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotic enrofloxacin in water using a natural iron mineral, focusing on pharmaceutical contamination rather than plastic particles.
Critical effect of iron red pigment on photoaging behavior of polypropylene microplastics in artificial seawater
This study found that iron red pigment additives in polypropylene microplastics significantly accelerated their photoaging in artificial seawater, causing surface cracking and rapid iron release. Plastic additives can dramatically alter how microplastics degrade in the environment, affecting both their physical fragmentation into nanoplastics and their chemical toxicity.
Unveiling the crucial role of iron oxide transformation in simultaneous immobilization of nanoplastics and organic matter
Researchers tracked how nanoplastics become trapped during the transformation of dissolved iron into crystalline iron oxide minerals, finding that polystyrene nanoplastics become physically encased within forming crystals while humic acid stabilizes the system, creating a durable iron oxide-nanoplastic-organic matter composite that sequesters particles in sediments.
Goethite Promotes the Degradation of Polyethylene Microplastics ( PE ‐ MPs ) in Soil
Researchers investigated how goethite (a common soil iron oxide) promotes the degradation of polyethylene microplastics in agricultural soil through quantitative incubation experiments. ATR-FTIR analysis revealed that goethite additions of up to 1.0% significantly increased carbonyl index and C-O bond formation on PE surfaces, indicating that soil iron minerals can accelerate microplastic oxidative degradation.