Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Multifunctional sodium alginate/chitosan-modified graphene oxide reinforced membrane for simultaneous removal of nanoplastics, emulsified oil, and dyes in water

Researchers developed a bioinspired three-layer membrane using sodium alginate, graphene oxide, and chitosan that removed over 99% of nanoplastics, emulsified oil, and dyes from water simultaneously, with excellent stability in extreme pH conditions and good recyclability.

2023 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 45 citations
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

Microplastic contaminant adsorption by graphene oxide layer

Researchers found that graphene oxide, a carbon-based material, can effectively bind and remove harmful microplastic contaminants like BPA and PET from water through strong molecular interactions. This technology could be developed into filtration systems for large-scale water treatment, helping reduce the amount of microplastic-related chemicals that people are exposed to through drinking water.

2025 Journal of Biological Physics 10 citations
Article Tier 2

A Review of the Current Research Status of Graphene for the Removal of Microplastics and Antibiotics from Water

This review assesses the potential of graphene-based materials for microplastic removal from water, evaluating adsorption mechanisms, removal efficiency across particle sizes, and scalability challenges for water treatment applications.

2024 International Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies
Article Tier 2

Removal of nanoplastics from aquatic environments using graphene oxide/chitosan sponges

Researchers developed a three-dimensional porous graphene oxide/chitosan sponge with an average pore size of 21.67 µm and evaluated its effectiveness in removing polystyrene nanoplastics (31.1 nm diameter) from aqueous solutions.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management
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

Mechanically durable anti-bacteria non-fluorinated superhydrophobic sponge for highly efficient and fast microplastic and oil removal

A superhydrophobic sponge was engineered to selectively remove microplastics and oil from water, achieving high removal efficiency while also demonstrating antibacterial properties. The material maintained its performance across repeated use cycles, offering a promising approach for practical water treatment applications.

2022 Chemosphere 67 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

Efficient and Selective Removal of Heavy Metals and Dyes from Aqueous Solutions Using Guipi Residue-Based Hydrogel

Researchers created a hydrogel material from Chinese herbal medicine residue and chitosan that can effectively remove lead, cadmium, and toxic dyes from polluted water. The material maintained its cleaning ability through at least five reuse cycles. While not focused on microplastics, this type of water treatment technology could be part of broader solutions for removing multiple contaminants, including microplastics, from drinking water sources.

2024 Gels 15 citations
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

Exploring the effective adsorption of polystyrene microplastics from aqueous solution with magnetically separable nickel/reduced graphene oxide (Ni/rGO) nanocomposite

Researchers developed a magnetic nanocomposite material that can effectively remove polystyrene microplastics from water and be easily separated using a magnet for reuse. This technology could help reduce microplastic contamination in water supplies, potentially lowering human exposure to these tiny plastic particles through drinking water.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 24 citations
Article Tier 2

The use of chitosan for water purification from microplastics

Researchers investigated chitosan as a sorbent for removing microplastics from water, analyzing its physicochemical properties and proposing an optimized purification method based on chitosan's sorption characteristics.

2025 Open MIND
Article Tier 2

Efficient microplastics adsorption in aqueous environments via bidirectional ordered graphene oxide/nanocellulose aerogels

Researchers developed a new material made from graphene oxide and nanocellulose that can effectively remove microplastics from water. The aerogel absorbed up to 241 milligrams of microplastics per gram of material and maintained over 80% efficiency after 20 reuse cycles. This kind of reusable filter technology could help reduce the amount of microplastics reaching drinking water sources and the food chain.

2024 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable sponges made from chitin-cellulose nanofibers for sustainable removal of microplastics from aquatic environment

Researchers developed a biodegradable sponge made from chitin and cellulose nanofibers that can remove up to 93% of microplastics from water. The sponge maintained strong performance after four reuse cycles and naturally biodegraded in soil environments. The study presents a sustainable, eco-friendly approach to cleaning microplastic contamination from aquatic ecosystems without introducing additional persistent pollutants.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Engineering green MOF-based superhydrophobic sponge for efficiently synchronous removal of microplastics and pesticides from high-salinity water

Engineers developed a special sponge coated with a metal-organic framework that can simultaneously remove both microplastics and pesticides from salty water. The sponge repels water but captures plastic particles and breaks down pesticides using light-activated chemical reactions, and it can be reused multiple times. This technology could help clean up coastal and agricultural water sources where microplastics and chemical pollutants coexist, reducing human exposure through drinking water and seafood.

2023 Water Research 102 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

Microporous carbon derived from waste plastics for efficient adsorption of tetracycline: Adsorption mechanism and application potentials

Scientists converted waste PET plastic bottles into a porous carbon material that can remove 100% of the antibiotic tetracycline from water. The material worked effectively across a wide range of water conditions and could be reused multiple times. This approach offers a double benefit: it repurposes plastic waste that would otherwise become microplastic pollution while also cleaning antibiotics from water, addressing two environmental threats at once.

2025 Environmental Research 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Graphene oxide synthesis and applications in emerging contaminant removal: a comprehensive review

Researchers reviewed how graphene oxide (GO), a carbon-based nanomaterial with an enormous surface area, can adsorb and remove emerging environmental contaminants including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and heavy metals from water. While lab results are promising, the review identifies key gaps around long-term environmental effects and the challenge of scaling GO-based treatment to real-world water systems.

2024 Environmental Sciences Europe 151 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

Eco-friendly hydrophobic ZIF-8/sodium alginate monolithic adsorbent: An efficient trap for microplastics in the aqueous environment

Scientists created an eco-friendly sponge-like material made from a metal-organic framework (ZIF-8) and seaweed-based sodium alginate that can trap microplastics from water. The material removed up to 594 milligrams of microplastics per gram of adsorbent and worked well even in real-world water samples like tap water, river water, and seawater. This type of practical, reusable filter material could help reduce the amount of microplastics reaching drinking water supplies.

2024 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 43 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

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

Carbon-based adsorbents for micro/nano-plastics removal: current advances and perspectives

Scientists reviewed how carbon-based materials like graphene, activated carbon, and carbon nanotubes can be used to remove micro- and nanoplastics from water. Researchers found that these adsorbents show strong potential for capturing tiny plastic particles thanks to their tunable surface properties and high surface area. The study suggests that carbon-based filtration could become an important technology for cleaning microplastic-contaminated water.

2024 Water Emerging Contaminants & Nanoplastics 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring treatment efficiency of graphene derivatives as adsorbents for removal of microplastics in water

Researchers tested three forms of graphene — graphene oxide, graphene foam, and reduced graphene oxide — as filters for removing microplastics from water, achieving removal efficiencies of up to 95% in lab conditions. Reduced graphene oxide performed best, though all three materials showed promise as next-generation water treatment adsorbents that could help tackle microplastic contamination at the source.

2025 Desalination and Water Treatment 3 citations