Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Wastewater Treatment by Constructed Wetland Eco-Technology: Influence of Mineral and Plastic Materials as Filter Media and Tropical Ornamental Plants

Constructed wetlands using ornamental plants effectively removed chemical pollutants from wastewater, and the presence of plastic residues in the growing medium affected treatment performance. This finding is relevant to understanding how microplastics in constructed wetlands may interfere with natural water purification processes.

2019 Water 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Water hyacinth-inspired self-floating photocatalytic system for efficient and sustainable water purification

Researchers developed a floating water purification device inspired by the water hyacinth plant, combining a buoyant porous structure with a light-activated photocatalyst to break down pollutants. The device effectively degraded various contaminants including dyes, antibiotics, and microplastics using only sunlight, while remaining stable in both still and flowing water. The study demonstrates a practical, sustainable approach to water cleanup that works without chemicals or external energy sources.

2025 npj Clean Water 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Phytoremediation An Effective Technique for Domestic Wastewater Treatment

Constructed wetland phytoremediation was tested as a treatment method for municipal wastewater in South Asia, and the study found significant pollutant removal rates for common contaminants. The approach requires less energy and infrastructure than conventional treatment plants. Nature-based treatment systems like constructed wetlands could help underserved communities manage wastewater sustainably.

2022 Research Square (Research Square) 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect and Mechanism of Applying Myriophyllum Verticillatum for Reclaimed Water Purification in Urban Rivers

Researchers investigated the water purification performance of the submerged plant Myriophyllum verticillatum in reclaimed water under varying planting densities, examining its mechanisms for removing nitrogen and phosphorus to address eutrophication risks in urban rivers recharged with treated domestic wastewater.

2023 Water 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Bacterial Augmented Floating Treatment Wetlands for Efficient Treatment of Synthetic Textile Dye Wastewater

Floating treatment wetlands planted with Phragmites australis and inoculated with pollutant-degrading bacteria effectively removed color, chemical oxygen demand, and heavy metals from synthetic textile dye wastewater, outperforming vegetated and unvegetated controls. The bacterial augmentation significantly enhanced the remediation performance, suggesting a promising approach for treating industrial textile effluent.

2020 Sustainability 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Integration of ecological restoration and landscape aesthetics: Mechanisms of microplastic retention by optimization of aquatic plants landscape design in urban constructed wetlands — A case study of the living water park in Chengdu

A two-year study of the Living Water Park in Chengdu found that aquatic plant landscapes in constructed wetlands significantly retained microplastics, with plant roots and surfaces acting as physical barriers that reduced MP concentrations downstream.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Phytoremediation of Polluted Waterbodies with Aquatic plants: Recent Progress on Heavy Metal and Organic Pollutants

This review surveys phytoremediation strategies using aquatic plants to remove heavy metals and organic pollutants from contaminated water. Aquatic plants are also impacted by microplastic pollution, and understanding their tolerance and remediation capacity is relevant to restoring water quality in contaminated environments.

2019 Preprints.org 13 citations
Article Tier 2

A low-impact nature-based solution for reducing aquatic microplastics from freshwater ecosystems

Researchers developed a nature-based solution using the submerged plant Myriophyllum aquaticum to capture and retain microplastics from freshwater ecosystems. Through optimization experiments, they achieved high retention efficiency with minimal environmental disruption. The study demonstrates that aquatic plants can serve as a low-impact, practical tool for reducing microplastic pollution in rivers and lakes.

2024 Water Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrated application of macrophytes and zooplankton for wastewater treatment

Researchers examined the integrated application of macrophytes and zooplankton in constructed wetland systems for wastewater treatment, finding that filter-feeding zooplankton combined with aquatic plants can function as effective bio-purifiers for improving sewage treatment at discharge sites.

2022 Frontiers in Environmental Science 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Phytoremediation of microplastics by water hyacinth

Researchers found that water hyacinth, a fast-growing floating plant, can remove 55-69% of microplastics from contaminated water within 48 hours through root adsorption. The plant's massive root surface area traps plastic particles, while a special structure in the stem prevents the plastics from reaching the leaves. This study offers a promising natural, low-cost approach to cleaning microplastics from waterways.

2025 Environmental Science and Ecotechnology 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Water hyacinths retain river plastics

Researchers investigated how water hyacinths, an invasive aquatic plant common in tropical rivers, interact with floating plastic debris. They found that dense water hyacinth patches efficiently trap surface plastics, potentially influencing whether plastic waste reaches the ocean. The study suggests that while water hyacinths are typically considered a nuisance species, they may play an unintended role in retaining river plastics.

2024 Environmental Pollution 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Identification in Domestic Wastewater-Treating Constructed Wetlands and Its Potential Usage in a Circular Economy

Researchers identified and characterized microplastics in constructed wetlands used for treating domestic wastewater, finding MP accumulation in the substrate and plants and assessing how well these nature-based treatment systems retain plastic particles before effluent is discharged.

2025 Processes
Article Tier 2

Bibliometric Analysis of Constructed Wetlands with Ornamental Flowering Plants: The Importance of Green Technology

A bibliometric analysis of 10,254 constructed wetland studies identified 92 studies using ornamental flowering plants, with Mexico leading research output, and common species like Canna hybrids and Zantedeschia achieving 30-90% removal of organic compounds, 30-70% removal of heavy metals, and 99.9% removal of pathogens.

2023 Processes 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Aquatic Plants in phytoremediation of contaminated water: Recent knowledge and future prospects

This paper is not about microplastics; it reviews phytoremediation — the use of aquatic plants to remove heavy metals from contaminated water — covering sources of heavy metal pollution, remediation techniques, and factors affecting plant uptake efficiency.

2023 Journal Of Advanced Zoology
Article Tier 2

An Innovative Sorption Technology for Removing Microplastics from Wastewater

This study developed a sorption-based technology for removing microplastics from wastewater using inexpensive natural materials, demonstrating high removal efficiency suitable for deployment as a tertiary treatment stage at wastewater treatment plants or for treating process and surface water.

2023 Water 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Uji Variasi Media Tanam Pada Sistem Pengolahan Tersier Constructed Wetland Skala Laboratorium Dalam Mengolah Air Limbah Domestik

This Indonesian study tested different growing media in a laboratory-scale constructed wetland for treating domestic wastewater. Constructed wetlands are a nature-based approach for removing microplastics and other pollutants before wastewater reaches rivers and coastal waters.

2023 Prosiding Sains Nasional dan Teknologi 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A review: Water pollution by heavy metal and organic pollutants: Brief review of sources, effects and progress on remediation with aquatic plants

This review summarized phytoremediation strategies for water polluted with heavy metals and organic contaminants, comparing plant-based approaches to conventional treatment methods and evaluating physicochemical factors that affect removal efficiency. The authors identify aquatic plants as promising, cost-effective tools for addressing combined heavy metal and organic chemical contamination in water.

2019 Analytical Methods in Environmental Chemistry Journal 120 citations
Article Tier 2

Retention of microplastics by interspersed lagoons in both natural and constructed wetlands

Researchers used laboratory wetland models to test how well constructed wetlands with interspersed lagoons and aquatic vegetation can capture microplastic particles from water. Combining vegetated patches with a lagoon achieved microplastic retention rates of up to 99%, suggesting that nature-based wetland designs could be an effective low-cost strategy for filtering microplastics out of wastewater and rivers before they reach the ocean.

2023 Journal of Water Process Engineering 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Removing Microplastics from Aquatic Environments with Iris 2 Pseudacorus and Lythrum anceps

Researchers analysed the effectiveness of Iris pseudacorus and Lythrum anceps wetland plants in removing microplastics from aquatic environments, examining whether these macrophytes can accumulate and retain plastic particles and reduce adverse physiological effects on aquatic organisms.

2024 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics profile in constructed wetlands: Distribution, retention and implications

This study assessed microplastic distribution, retention, and implications within constructed wetlands used for wastewater treatment, finding that wetlands trap substantial quantities of MPs but that retention efficiency varies by plant species and wetland design. The results suggest constructed wetlands both remove and potentially accumulate MPs as a secondary pollution source.

2022 Environmental Pollution 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics occurrence and fate in full-scale treatment wetlands

Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence and fate across full-scale treatment wetlands, finding that constructed wetlands effectively remove a significant proportion of MPs from wastewater but that removal efficiency varies with wetland design and MP characteristics.

2023 Water Research 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Hydraulic Retention Time on The Quality of Treated Effluents in A Horizontal Subsurface Flow Wetland

Despite its title referencing wastewater treatment, this paper studies how varying the hydraulic retention time in a constructed wetland system affects effluent quality for parameters like coliforms, nitrogen, and phosphorus — not microplastic pollution. It examines sustainable water treatment design in the Dominican Republic and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.

2025 Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental 1 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastic Removal in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) by Natural Coagulation: A Literature Review

This review examines how natural coagulants, substances derived from plants and other natural sources, can be used to remove microplastics during wastewater treatment. Natural coagulants are safer and cheaper than chemical alternatives, and show promise for capturing microplastic particles. Since wastewater treatment plants are a major source of microplastics entering waterways, better removal methods could reduce the amount of plastic pollution reaching the environment and eventually human food and water supplies.

2023 Toxics 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of the Presence of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Development and Verification of Strategies for Their Quantification and Removal in Aqueous Streams

Researchers evaluated microplastic presence in wastewater treatment plants and developed a pilot capture system capable of detecting, quantifying, and removing microplastic particles from water. The study found that conventional treatment processes are insufficient for complete microplastic removal, highlighting the need for dedicated technologies to address this gap in water treatment infrastructure.

2025 Sustainability 1 citations