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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Upcycling of waste EPS beads to immobilized codoped TiO2 photocatalysts for ciprofloxacin degradation and E. coli disinfection under sunlight
ClearPhotocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline by La-Fe Co-Doped SrTiO3/TiO2 Composites: Performance and Mechanism Study
Researchers developed a new composite material that can break down nearly all tetracycline antibiotic pollution in water using visible light. While focused on antibiotic removal rather than microplastics, the technology is relevant because microplastics commonly carry absorbed antibiotics in water environments. Advanced treatment methods that remove antibiotics could also help address the broader problem of microplastics acting as carriers for harmful chemicals in drinking water sources.
Unveiling the Effectiveness of Polystyrene/TiO 2 –Acetylacetone Nanocomposites as Floating Photocatalysts
Researchers created floating polystyrene-TiO2 photocatalyst composites to degrade the antibiotic tetracycline in water under visible light, but discovered a significant problem: the polystyrene support itself sheds microplastics and potentially toxic degradation byproducts into the water being treated. The finding is an important caution for a popular area of water treatment research — using plastic supports for photocatalysts may introduce a new microplastic pollution problem even while solving another contamination issue.
Silver Doped TiO2 Photocatalyst for Disinfection ofE. coli and Microplastic Pollutant Degradation in Water
Researchers developed a silver-doped titanium dioxide photocatalyst that could simultaneously kill E. coli bacteria and break down polyethylene microplastics in water under light exposure. This combined disinfection and plastic degradation capability could be useful in water treatment systems.
Insight into the effect of microplastics on photocatalytic degradation tetracycline by a dissolvable semiconductor-organic framework
Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics affect the photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotic tetracycline using a novel semiconductor-organic framework catalyst. They found that small amounts of microplastics actually promoted tetracycline breakdown but also altered the degradation products and pathways. The study reveals that microplastics can interfere with water treatment processes in unexpected ways, both helping and hindering pollutant removal depending on conditions.
Effect of polystyrene microplastics on tetracycline photoconversion under simulated sunlight: Vital role of aged polystyrene
Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics affect the breakdown of the antibiotic tetracycline in sunlight. They found that aged microplastics actually slowed down the antibiotic's photodegradation by blocking UV light, while fresh microplastics had the opposite effect. The study reveals that weathered microplastics may help antibiotics persist longer in the environment, potentially contributing to antibiotic resistance.
Effects and mechanisms of aged polystyrene microplastics on the photodegradation of sulfamethoxazole in water under simulated sunlight
Researchers found that aged polystyrene microplastics inhibited the photodegradation of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole in water, with inhibition increasing proportionally to the aging degree due to light-scattering effects and reactive oxygen species quenching.
Nanophotocatalytic synergistic degradation of antibiotics and microplastics: Mechanisms, material design, and environmental applications
This review examines how microplastics and antibiotics interact in water during photocatalytic treatment, finding that microplastics can both help (by shuttling electrons) and hinder (by shielding light or hosting biofilms) the degradation process, depending on conditions. Aged microplastics — which have more surface oxygen groups — adsorb more antibiotics, making them tougher composite targets for treatment systems. Understanding these interactions is essential for designing water purification systems that can handle the combined pollution reality of modern waterways.
Synthesizing a Ternary TiO 2 @g‐C 3 N 4 /UiO‐66 Photocatalyst From Waste Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastic to Treat Polystyrene Microplastics in Polluted Water
Scientists created a photocatalyst using recycled plastic bottles (PET) and used it to break down polystyrene microplastics in water under visible light, achieving 90% degradation within 30 hours. The approach cleverly uses plastic waste as both a raw material and a target, turning one pollution problem into a tool for solving another. This proof-of-concept suggests a potentially scalable method for removing microplastics from water using sunlight-driven chemistry.
Photocatalytic Degradation of Sulfamethoxazole and Enrofloxacin in Water Using Electrospun Composite Photocatalytic Membrane
Researchers prepared composite photocatalytic membranes by combining titanium dioxide and reduced graphene oxide with polymer nanofibers for degrading antibiotic contaminants in water. The study found that these electrospun membranes effectively broke down sulfamethoxazole and enrofloxacin under light exposure, offering a practical and reusable approach for removing emerging pharmaceutical pollutants from water sources.
Aging of Polystyrene Micro/Nanoplastics Enhances Cephalosporin Phototransformation via Structure-Sensitive Interfacial Hydrogen Bonding
Researchers found that aged polystyrene micro and nanoplastics significantly speed up the breakdown of common antibiotics (cephalosporins) in water when exposed to sunlight. The aged plastic surfaces generate reactive chemicals that attack the antibiotics, and the effect depends on how the antibiotic molecule binds to the plastic surface. This is important because it shows microplastics can actively change the chemical environment around them, potentially affecting how pollutants behave in waterways.
Visible-light-driven removal of tetracycline antibiotics and reclamation of hydrogen energy from natural water matrices and wastewater by polymeric carbon nitride foam
A polymeric carbon nitride foam photocatalyst was used to simultaneously remove tetracycline antibiotics from water and produce hydrogen fuel under visible light, achieving efficient degradation in natural water matrices and wastewater. The study demonstrates a dual-function photocatalytic system that addresses both water pollution remediation and renewable energy generation from a single solar-driven process.
Complete Photocatalytic Mineralization of Microplastic on TiO2 Nanoparticle Film
Scientists tested TiO2 nanoparticle films as a photocatalytic treatment for microplastics and found complete mineralization of polystyrene and polyethylene microspheres under UV irradiation, offering a potential destruction pathway for microplastic pollution.
Degradation of Emerging Plastic Pollutants from Aquatic Environments Using TiO2 and Their Composites in Visible Light Photocatalysis
This review examines how titanium dioxide-based photocatalysts can degrade microplastics and nanoplastics under visible light conditions. Researchers found that while some composite materials achieved complete degradation of polystyrene particles, overall effectiveness remains limited at the laboratory scale. The study identifies key challenges and proposes future directions for developing more efficient photocatalytic approaches to plastic pollution remediation in water.
Enhanced biotoxicity by co-exposure of aged polystyrene and ciprofloxacin: the adsorption and its influence factors
This study found that polystyrene microplastics aged by sunlight absorbed significantly more of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin than fresh microplastics, and the combination was more toxic to organisms than either pollutant alone. The aging process created more surface area and chemical binding sites on the plastic particles. This is important because it means weathered microplastics in the real world can concentrate antibiotics and deliver higher toxic doses to organisms, potentially contributing to both direct toxicity and antibiotic resistance.
Preliminary investigation of microorganisms potentially involved in microplastics degradation using an integrated metagenomic and biochemical approach
This study evaluated the photocatalytic degradation of microplastics using titanium dioxide nanoparticles under UV irradiation, achieving significant fragmentation of polystyrene particles within 48 hours. The approach shows promise for treating microplastic-contaminated water but generates smaller fragments as byproducts.
Photodegradation of polyethylene debris in water by sulfur-doped TiO2: system optimization, degradation mechanism, and reusability
This study optimized the photodegradation of polyethylene bag debris in water using sulfur-doped titanium dioxide as a photocatalyst, finding that controlling pH, catalyst dose, and polyethylene concentration improved degradation efficiency. The results offer a promising approach for breaking down plastic waste in water environments.
Degradation of primary nanoplastics by photocatalysis using different anodized TiO2 structures
Researchers used anodized titanium dioxide photocatalysts to degrade polystyrene nanoparticles in water under UV light, finding that a mixed nanotube/nanograss TiO2 structure reduced nanoplastic concentrations twice as effectively as UV photolysis alone, as confirmed by turbidity, total organic carbon, and mass spectrometry measurements.
Synthesis and preliminary evaluation of Ag-TiO2/CNT hybrid nanocomposite for the degradation of polystyrene microplastics under solar irradiation
Researchers developed a new photocatalyst made from silver-doped titanium dioxide combined with carbon nanotubes to break down polystyrene microplastics using sunlight. In laboratory tests, the material achieved about 32% degradation of polystyrene microbeads within 48 hours under solar irradiation. The study offers a potentially cost-effective approach for removing microplastics from water using solar energy.
Enhanced adsorption of oxytetracycline to weathered microplastic polystyrene: Kinetics, isotherms and influencing factors
Researchers compared how weathered and new polystyrene foam particles absorb the antibiotic oxytetracycline from water. They found that beached foam that had been exposed to environmental conditions absorbed roughly twice as much of the drug as virgin material, due to increased surface area and chemical changes from weathering. The study suggests that aged microplastics in the environment are more effective at picking up and transporting pharmaceutical contaminants.
Reviewing Perovskite Oxide-Based Materials for the Effective Treatment of Antibiotic-Polluted Environments: Challenges, Trends, and New Insights
This review covers perovskite oxide materials as catalysts for breaking down antibiotic pollution in water through advanced photocatalysis. While focused on antibiotic removal rather than microplastics directly, the technology is relevant because microplastics in water can carry antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Better water treatment methods that address multiple contaminants could help reduce overall human exposure to both antibiotics and microplastics.