Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Synthesis of polyvinyl chloride modified magnetic hydrochar for effective removal of Pb(II) and bisphenol A from aqueous phase: performance and mechanism exploration

Scientists created a new material by combining PVC plastic waste with corn straw and iron oxide to make a magnetic filter that can remove lead and bisphenol A from water. The material worked well across a wide range of water conditions and could be reused multiple times. While focused on water cleanup technology, this research shows how recycled plastic waste can be repurposed to help address water contamination, including pollutants often associated with microplastics.

2025 Carbon Research 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Hypercrosslinked waste polycarbonate to remove heavy metal contaminants from wastewater

Researchers chemically modified waste polycarbonate plastic using a process called hypercrosslinking, turning it into a resin capable of efficiently removing lead and cadmium ions from contaminated water. The material achieved removal capacities around 160 mg per gram for both toxic metals, demonstrating that plastic waste can be repurposed as a tool for cleaning up heavy metal pollution.

2024 Scientific Reports 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Magnetically Separable Humic Acid-Chitin Based Adsorbent as Pb(II) Uptake in Synthetic Wastewater

Researchers synthesized a magnetic humic acid-chitin composite material to adsorb lead (Pb) from synthetic wastewater, achieving high removal efficiency. Magnetically separable adsorbents are being developed for removing microplastics and associated heavy metals from contaminated water.

2023 Indonesian Journal of Chemical Studies 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Functionalization of Strontium Ferrite Nanoparticles with Novel Chitosan–Schiff Base Ligand for Efficient Removal of Pb(II) Ions from Aqueous Media

Researchers developed a new magnetic nanocomposite made from strontium ferrite and a chitosan-based compound to remove lead from contaminated water. The material achieved over 98% lead removal efficiency under optimized conditions and could be easily recovered using a magnet for reuse. This approach offers a promising, recyclable tool for cleaning up heavy metal pollution in water sources.

2024 Inorganics 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Valorization of Plastic Wastes for the Development of Adsorbent Designed for the Removal of Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater

This review examines how plastic waste can be converted into adsorbent materials for removing emerging contaminants from wastewater — turning a pollution problem into a remediation solution. The approach could simultaneously reduce plastic waste and improve wastewater quality, reducing the amount of pollutants reaching drinking water sources.

2023 Advances in Environmental and Engineering Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption and thermal degradation of microplastics from aqueous solutions by Mg/Zn modified magnetic biochars

Researchers developed magnesium- and zinc-modified magnetic biochars that achieved over 94% removal efficiency for polystyrene microplastics from water, with performance enhanced by the metal modifications. The modified biochars also showed effectiveness in thermally degrading the captured microplastics, offering a potential two-step approach for microplastic removal and destruction in water treatment.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 471 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesis of Amorphous MnFe@SBA Composites for Efficient Adsorptive Removal of Pb(Ⅱ) and Sb(V) from Aqueous Solution

Researchers synthesized a new composite material by growing manganese-iron oxide on a porous silica support for removing lead and antimony from contaminated water. The material removed over 99 percent of lead and 80 percent of antimony within two hours and performed well even in the presence of other dissolved ions. While not directly related to microplastics, the study contributes to water purification technology that could complement plastic pollution cleanup efforts.

2025 Molecules 2 citations
Article Tier 2

A novel polymer coated magnetic activated biochar-zeolite composite for adsorption of polystyrene microplastics: Synthesis, characterization, adsorption and regeneration performance

Researchers developed a new magnetic composite material made from biochar, zeolite, and polymer coatings that can effectively capture microplastics from water. The material removed over 90 percent of test microplastics and could be regenerated and reused multiple times. The study presents a promising, practical approach for filtering microplastics out of contaminated water using materials that can be magnetically recovered.

2023 Separation and Purification Technology 80 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Efficient Pb Removal from Aqueous Solutions using Biochar Beads

Researchers developed alginate-biochar bead composites to improve the removal of lead from water compared to powdered biochar alone. The beads were easier to separate from solution and maintained high removal efficiency. This approach could make biochar-based heavy metal remediation more practical for real-world water treatment applications.

2023 Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into catalytic removal and separation of attached metals from natural-aged microplastics by magnetic biochar activating oxidation process

A magnetic biochar material activated persulfate to degrade the organic layer on aged microplastics, releasing bound metals like lead and then re-adsorbing them from solution for magnetic separation. The approach demonstrates a combined oxidation and adsorption strategy for removing hazardous metals associated with microplastics in contaminated water.

2020 Water Research 205 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing Pb Adsorption on Crushed Microplastics: Insights into the Environmental Remediation

Researchers found that crushed microplastics generated during plastic recycling have significantly higher capacity to absorb lead than primary microplastics, due to their greater surface area and more reactive surfaces. Factors like particle size, water pH, salinity, and biofilm formation all influenced how much lead the particles could adsorb. The study raises concerns that the recycling process itself may create a secondary environmental hazard by producing microplastics that more efficiently concentrate toxic heavy metals.

2024 Water 4 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

Comparative analysis of kinetics and mechanisms for Pb(II) sorption onto three kinds of microplastics

The sorption kinetics and mechanisms of lead (Pb(II)) onto three types of microplastics were compared to understand how plastic debris concentrates heavy metals in aquatic environments. The study found polymer-specific differences in sorption capacity and mechanism, with implications for how microplastics alter the distribution and bioavailability of lead in contaminated water.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 158 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics removal from aqueous solutions by magnetic iron nanoparticles

Researchers tested magnetic iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles for removing polystyrene microplastics from water, systematically optimizing concentration, dosage, contact time, and pH, and found effective microplastic removal through adsorption interactions that could be leveraged for environmental remediation.

2025
Article Tier 2

Insights Into the Adsorption Behavior of Polyethylene Microplastics Towards Lead(II) Ions

Researchers investigated the adsorption behavior of lead(II) ions onto polyethylene microplastics in freshwater environments by systematically varying initial Pb(II) concentration, pH, and residence time, using scanning electron microscopy and other characterization methods to elucidate the interaction dynamics and sorption mechanisms between this common metal contaminant and microplastic surfaces.

2024 Environmental Quality Management
Article Tier 2

Microplastics inhibit lead binding to sediment components: Influence of surface functional groups and charge environment

Researchers systematically investigated interactions among lead, polystyrene microplastics, and sediment components to understand how microplastics affect heavy metal behavior in aquatic environments. The study found that polystyrene significantly inhibited lead adsorption to sediment by competing for binding sites, reducing lead uptake by up to 28%, which suggests that microplastics could increase the mobility of toxic metals in contaminated waterways.

2025 Water Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorptive removal of micron-sized polystyrene particles using magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

Researchers demonstrated that magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles can effectively adsorb and remove micron-sized polystyrene microplastics from water, offering a magnetically recoverable approach to microplastic remediation.

2022 Chemosphere 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the adsorption behavior of Pb(II) onto natural-aged microplastics as affected by salt ions

Researchers found that naturally aged microplastics adsorb significantly more lead than virgin microplastics, and that calcium chloride in solution strongly inhibits lead adsorption, indicating that environmental weathering and water chemistry alter contaminant transport.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 182 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of polystyrene nanoplastics from water by Cu Ni carbon material: The role of adsorption

Researchers developed a copper-nickel carbon material that removed up to 99.18% of polystyrene nanoplastics from water through physical adsorption, with the recyclable material maintaining approximately 75% removal efficiency after four reuse cycles.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 128 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of polystyrene nanoplastics from aqueous solutions by a novel magnetic zeolite adsorbent

Researchers synthesized a magnetic zeolite adsorbent using co-precipitation and tested it for removal of polystyrene nanoplastics from water, achieving a maximum adsorption capacity of 34.2 milligrams per gram. Iron oxide functional groups on the zeolite surface drove nanoplastic capture via electrostatic attraction, complexation, and pi-pi conjugation, and the material could be magnetically separated for reuse.

2022 Human and Ecological Risk Assessment An International Journal 41 citations