Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The Impact of Chlorinated Water and Sun Exposure on the Durability and Performance of Swimwear Materials

Researchers studied how chlorinated pool water and sun exposure degrade swimwear materials made from blends of polyamide, polyester, and elastane. They found that these aging conditions caused significant deterioration of the fabrics' mechanical properties and durability over time. The findings are relevant to microplastic pollution because degrading swimwear releases synthetic fibers into pool and natural water environments.

2024 Polymers 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Behavior of Polymer Materials Exposed to Aging in the Swimming Pool: Focus on Properties That Assure Comfort and Durability

Researchers aged polyamide and polyester polymers used in swimming pool equipment under pool-water conditions and found that both materials underwent molecular-level degradation that reduced comfort-related properties, with implications for microplastic release into pool water.

2021 Polymers 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Chemical and physical changes of microplastics during sterilization by chlorination

Researchers exposed common plastic types to chlorination conditions used in water and wastewater treatment and measured the resulting chemical and physical changes. They found that polystyrene was most susceptible to degradation from chlorine exposure, while polypropylene was most resistant. The study suggests that wastewater chlorination may alter the surface properties of microplastics, potentially affecting how they interact with contaminants and organisms in the environment.

2019 Water Research 175 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

Disinfection impacts: Effects of different disinfection treatments on common polymer types to guide the identification of polymers of concern in the water industry

Researchers tested how common water disinfection methods, including chlorination and chloramination, affect seven types of plastic particles at different doses and pH levels. They found that both treatments caused measurable physical and chemical changes to the polymers, with some plastics showing significant surface degradation and chemical alterations. The findings suggest that water treatment processes may unintentionally transform microplastics in ways that could affect their environmental behavior and potential health impacts.

2025 Cambridge Prisms Plastics 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of chlorination resistance of biodegradable microplastics and conventional microplastics during the disinfection process in water treatments

This study compared the chlorination resistance of biodegradable microplastics (PLA, PHA) and conventional microplastics (PE, PP, PS) at water-treatment-relevant chlorine concentrations, finding that biodegradable plastics are more susceptible to chlorination-induced structural changes.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 17 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

Review: Disinfection impacts: Effects of different disinfection treatments on common polymer types to guide the identification of polymers of concern in the water industry — R1/PR8

Researchers tested the physicochemical effects of chlorination and chloramination on seven virgin and biofouled polymer types at multiple doses and pH levels in potable and recycled water. Polypropylene, expanded polystyrene, and polyamide were most impacted by surface changes and chemical bond cleavage, identifying them as polymers of concern for water safety in distribution systems.

2025
Article Tier 2

Review: Disinfection impacts: Effects of different disinfection treatments on common polymer types to guide the identification of polymers of concern in the water industry — R1/PR7

Researchers tested the physicochemical effects of chlorination and chloramination on seven virgin and biofouled polymer types at multiple doses and pH levels in potable and recycled water. Polypropylene, expanded polystyrene, and polyamide were most impacted by surface changes and chemical bond cleavage, identifying them as polymers of concern for water safety in distribution systems.

2025
Article Tier 2

Impact of Chlorine or UV/H2O2 on Microplastics Under Conditions Representative of Drinking Water Treatment

Researchers exposed low- and high-density polyethylene microplastics to chlorine and UV/H2O2 at drinking-water-relevant doses and found that surface changes and cytotoxicity increases reported in earlier studies occurred only at far higher doses than used in practice.

2024 TSpace
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

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

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

Leaching of organic matter from microplastics and its role in disinfection by-product formation

Researchers found that microplastics leach organic matter into water that subsequently acts as a precursor for disinfection by-products during chlorination, with polystyrene MPs generating the most leachate and producing the most by-products compared to polyethylene MPs.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Recommendation: Disinfection impacts: Effects of different disinfection treatments on common polymer types to guide the identification of polymers of concern in the water industry — R2/PR12

Researchers tested the effects of chlorination and chloramination on seven polymer types at varying doses and pH to identify which plastics used in water infrastructure are most vulnerable to disinfection processes. Polypropylene, expanded polystyrene, and polyamide were most affected by surface changes and chemical bond cleavage, identifying them as polymers of concern for the water industry.

2025
Article Tier 2

Review: Disinfection impacts: Effects of different disinfection treatments on common polymer types to guide the identification of polymers of concern in the water industry — R0/PR3

A review of disinfection impacts on seven polymer types found that chlorination and chloramination most affected polypropylene, expanded polystyrene, and polyamide, with surface morphological changes and carbonyl group formation observed, marking these polymers as most susceptible in water treatment systems.

2024
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

Author comment: Disinfection impacts: Effects of different disinfection treatments on common polymer types to guide the identification of polymers of concern in the water industry — R2/PR11

Researchers tested the physicochemical effects of chlorination and chloramination on seven virgin and biofouled polymer types at multiple disinfectant doses and pH levels in potable and recycled water. Both treatments altered all polymers, with polypropylene, expanded polystyrene, and polyamide showing the most surface changes and bond cleavage, flagging them as polymers of concern in water infrastructure.

2025
Article Tier 2

Photo aging of polypropylene microplastics in estuary water and coastal seawater: Important role of chlorine ion

Researchers studied how UV light ages polypropylene microplastics in estuarine and coastal seawater and found that chloride ions significantly accelerated photo-degradation by generating reactive chlorine radicals, suggesting that marine microplastics age faster than freshwater ones.

2021 Water Research 161 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

The Photodegradation Process of PP Plastics in Tidal Flat Environments: The Role and Mechanism of Chloride Ions

Researchers investigated how chloride ions in tidal flat environments affect polypropylene plastic photodegradation, finding that chloride accelerated degradation kinetics, increased carbonyl index values faster, and promoted microplastic fragmentation — identifying saltwater chemistry as a key factor in coastal plastic aging.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating the Physicochemical Property Changes of Plastic Packaging Exposed to UV Irradiation and Different Aqueous Environments

Researchers investigated UV-driven degradation of polypropylene and PET packaging materials under different aqueous conditions, finding that UV exposure caused significant physicochemical changes including increased crystallinity and surface cracking that contribute to microplastic formation.

2022 Microplastics 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Decision: Disinfection impacts: Effects of different disinfection treatments on common polymer types to guide the identification of polymers of concern in the water industry — R1/PR10

Researchers tested how chlorination and chloramination affect seven polymer types at multiple doses and pH levels in potable and recycled water. Both treatments impacted all polymers, with polypropylene, expanded polystyrene, and polyamide showing the most significant surface and chemical changes, identifying them as priority polymers of concern for the water industry.

2025
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