Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Mechanistic insight into the role of typical microplastics in chlorination disinfection: Precursors and adsorbents of both MP-DOM and DBPs

Chlorination of polypropylene and polystyrene microplastics released dissolved organic matter that formed disinfection by-products, with PS-MPs being more susceptible to chlorination; the study found that even small MPs in drinking water can contribute to DBP precursor loads during treatment.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Leaching of organic matters and formation of disinfection by-product as a result of presence of microplastics in natural freshwaters

Researchers found that microplastics leach dissolved organic carbon into freshwater, and when combined with chlorine disinfection, this leached material promotes the formation of disinfection byproducts like chloroform in drinking water treatment.

2022 Chemosphere 21 citations
Article Tier 2

The fate of microplastics and organic matter leaching behavior during chlorination

Researchers studied how chlorination affects polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics and the organic matter they release, finding that chlorination promoted organic carbon leaching from microplastics at about 0.3 to 0.5 parts per thousand of the plastic mass. The leached organic matter showed significant potential to form trihalomethane and haloacetonitrile disinfection byproducts, raising concerns about chlorinated microplastics in drinking water systems.

2022 Chemosphere 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on DBPs formation under the chlorination of natural organic matters

Researchers investigated how microplastics affect disinfection byproduct formation during chlorination of natural organic matter in water treatment, finding that the presence of microplastics can influence the generation of potentially harmful DBPs.

2022 Chemosphere 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Insight into the dynamic transformation properties of microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter and its contribution to the formation of chlorination disinfection by-products

Researchers studied how dissolved organic matter released from microplastics transforms under UV light and how it contributes to the formation of harmful disinfection byproducts during water chlorination. They found that UV exposure changed the chemical composition of the microplastic-derived organic matter, affecting its reactivity during disinfection. The findings suggest that microplastics in water sources may indirectly increase the formation of potentially harmful chemicals during standard water treatment.

2024 RSC Advances 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of microplastic polymer-derived dissolved organic matter and its potential as a disinfection byproduct precursor

UV irradiation caused polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics to leach dissolved organic matter into water, producing low-molecular-weight compounds that could react with chlorine during water treatment to form trihalomethanes, a known class of disinfection byproducts and carcinogens. The findings suggest that microplastics in source water could be a previously unrecognized precursor to harmful disinfection byproducts.

2020 Water Research 209 citations
Article Tier 2

Volatile organic compounds generation pathways and mechanisms from microplastics in water: Ultraviolet, chlorine and ultraviolet/chlorine disinfection

Researchers examined how UV, chlorine, and combined UV/chlorine disinfection treatments cause microplastics to release volatile organic compounds, identifying distinct degradation pathways for polypropylene, polystyrene, and PVC that generate diverse chemical byproducts in treated water.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of biodegradable plastics on the generation of disinfection byproducts in the chlorination process

This study investigated how biodegradable plastics influence the generation of dissolved organic matter and its downstream effects on water quality and treatment processes. The findings show that biodegradable polymers can release organic compounds that complicate wastewater treatment compared to conventional plastics.

2024 Chemosphere 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential disinfection byproducts-related risks to drinking water? Molecular insights into the dissolved organic matter from photodegradation of polyethylene microplastics

This study analyzed the dissolved organic matter released during photodegradation of polyethylene microplastics, finding that sunlight exposure generates complex organic compounds that could act as precursors to disinfection byproducts in drinking water treatment. The results highlight an underappreciated pathway by which microplastics may affect drinking water safety.

2023 ACS ES&T Water 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics release precursors of chlorinated and brominated disinfection byproducts in water

Researchers investigated whether microplastics leach chemical additives that serve as precursors for chlorinated and brominated disinfection byproducts when exposed to hydrolysis and simulated sunlight, testing seventeen microplastics across seven polymer types and finding that this previously unrecognized pathway poses potential risks to drinking water quality.

2020 Chemosphere 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of non-aged and UV-aged microplastics on the formation of halogenated disinfection byproducts during chlorination of drinking water and its mechanism

Researchers investigated how both new and UV-aged microplastics affect the formation of halogenated disinfection byproducts during chlorine treatment of drinking water. They found that non-aged microplastics reduced byproduct formation by adsorbing organic precursors, while UV-aged microplastics had a much smaller reduction effect because they release organic compounds that offset adsorption. The study reveals that environmental aging of microplastics changes their impact on drinking water treatment chemistry in important ways.

2024 Environmental Pollution 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on water disinfection and formation of disinfection by-products

This review examines how the presence of microplastics in drinking water and wastewater interferes with chlorination and ozonation disinfection processes, potentially reducing their effectiveness and generating harmful disinfection by-products. Microplastics can leach dissolved organic carbon that reacts with disinfectants, and they serve as refuges for antibiotic-resistant bacteria that may survive standard treatment. The authors call for more realistic laboratory experiments and field studies to properly assess the real-world risks that microplastics pose inside water treatment plants.

2025 Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health 1 citations
Article Tier 2

UV aging of microplastic polymers promotes their chemical transformation and byproduct formation upon chlorination

Researchers studied how UV aging of different microplastic polymers affects their behavior during water chlorination treatment. They found that UV aging significantly increased the reactivity of polyamide and polyester microplastics, promoting the release of harmful organic compounds and the formation of disinfection byproducts by more than 10-fold. The study reveals that weathered microplastics in drinking water systems may generate more toxic byproducts during standard chlorination than their pristine counterparts.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 46 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of polypropylene microplastics on the DBP formation under the chlorination and chloramination processes

Researchers investigated the formation of six disinfection by-products (DBPs) during chlorination and chloramination of water in the presence of polypropylene microplastics (PP MPs) under varying aquatic chemistry conditions. They found that PP MPs acted as DBP precursors under chlorination, but co-presence of Suwannee River Fulvic acid suppressed DBP formation by 56%, with pH and salinity further modulating the balance between PP as a precursor or organic scavenger.

2022 Chemosphere 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Towards microplastics contribution for membrane biofouling and disinfection by-products precursors: The effect on microbes

Researchers found that microplastics in raw water increased microbial growth and altered community composition during ultrafiltration, promoting extracellular polymer production that accelerated membrane fouling and elevated disinfection by-product formation in treated water.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the optical and molecular characteristics of aging microplastics derived dissolved organic matter transformed by UV/chlor(am)ine oxidation and its potential for disinfection byproducts formation

Researchers studied how UV light and common water disinfection chemicals break down microplastics in water and found that different treatment methods produce different types of dissolved organic matter from the plastic. Some treatment combinations, particularly UV with chlorine, created byproducts that could form harmful disinfection byproducts when water is later chlorinated. This is important because it means water treatment processes might unintentionally create new toxic compounds from the microplastics already present in water.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Insight into the chemical transformation and organic release of polyurethane microplastics during chlorination

Scientists investigated what happens to polyurethane microplastics during water chlorination, a standard step in water treatment. They found that chlorination breaks down the plastic surface and releases organic chemicals, especially from UV-weathered particles, which produced significantly more leached compounds. The findings suggest that water treatment processes themselves may inadvertently release harmful byproducts from microplastics.

2023 Environmental Pollution 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of UV light on physicochemical changes in thermoplastic polyurethanes: Mechanism and disinfection byproduct formation

Researchers examined how UV light exposure changes the properties of thermoplastic polyurethane microplastics in water and whether those changes affect the formation of harmful disinfection byproducts during water chlorination. They found that UV exposure broke the plastic into smaller fragments and released soluble chemicals that significantly increased byproduct formation after chlorination. The findings suggest that aging microplastics in water systems could contribute to the creation of potentially harmful chemicals during standard water treatment.

2024 Chemosphere 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The aging and pollution behavior of microplastics in tap water supply system subjected to residual chlorine exposure

Researchers studied how residual chlorine in tap water distribution systems ages ABS and polycarbonate microplastics, finding that chlorine exposure caused surface changes and increased hydrophilicity of the particles. The aging microplastics released dissolved organic matter into the water and, when interacting with chlorine, produced trichloromethane, a disinfection byproduct. The findings suggest that microplastics in drinking water infrastructure may contribute to the formation of harmful chemical byproducts.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Formation mechanisms of carcinogenic N-nitrosamines from dissolved organic matter derived from nitrogen-containing microplastics during chloramine disinfection

Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter in water facilitates the formation of carcinogenic N-nitrosamines during chlorination, finding that microplastic-associated organic compounds contributed to nitrosamine precursor pools in treatment scenarios.

2025 Water Research 4 citations