Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Interplay of plastic pollution with algae and plants: hidden danger or a blessing?

Researchers tested the ability of three microalgae species to remove microplastics from water through bioadhesion, finding that all three species could adsorb particles onto their surfaces. Removal efficiency depended on particle size, surface charge, and algae cell morphology.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Microplastics from Industrial Wastewater Using Microalgae

This review examines the use of microalgae as a sustainable biological approach for removing microplastics from wastewater, covering mechanisms of MP attachment to algal surfaces, factors affecting removal efficiency, and prospects for integrating algae cultivation with wastewater treatment.

2025
Article Tier 2

Eradicating microplastics in wastewater: microalgae as a sustainable strategy

This review examines the use of microalgae as a sustainable strategy for removing microplastics from wastewater, discussing biosorption mechanisms, removal efficiencies, and the limitations of conventional treatment plants that typically achieve only up to 90% MP removal.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Exploring the potential of microalgae in removal of microplastics from the environment and scope of this entity as feedstock for biofuel production

This review explores the potential of microalgae to capture and remove microplastics from aquatic environments, examining the mechanisms by which algal cells adsorb or aggregate plastic particles and discussing the feasibility of algae-based remediation at scale.

2025
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Micro-/Nanoplastic (MNPs) Removal by Microalgae and Possible Integrated Routes of Energy Recovery

This review examined the interactions between micro- and nanoplastics and microalgae, covering how microalgae are affected by plastic particles and how they can in turn be used to remove plastics from aquatic environments. The authors identify microalgae-based systems as promising tools for combined plastic removal and biomass production.

2022 Microorganisms 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Effective removal of microplastics by filamentous algae and its magnetic biochar: Performance and mechanism

Researchers found that filamentous algae and a magnetic biochar made from the algae can effectively remove microplastics from water, with the biochar absorbing over 215 milligrams of microplastics per gram. The algae naturally trap microplastics through entanglement and adhesion, while the magnetic biochar can be easily recovered from water using magnets. This dual approach could help address both algae bloom problems and microplastic contamination in urban water systems.

2024 Chemosphere 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the impact of innovative algae- based membrane bioreactors against the emerging microplastic crisisin combating water pollution

This study evaluated algae-based membrane bioreactors for removing microplastics and other emerging contaminants from wastewater, finding that combining algal biomass with membrane filtration improved MP removal efficiency compared to conventional biological treatment alone.

2025
Article Tier 2

Remediation and upcycling of microplastics by algae with wastewater nutrient removal and bioproduction potential

Researchers demonstrated that algae can simultaneously remediate microplastics from water and remove nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater, while also producing valuable biomass, presenting an integrated and sustainable platform that converts plastic waste into a resource.

2025 Nature Communications 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Potential of Algae in the Mitigation of Plastic Pollution in Aquatic Environments

This review examined how algae can help mitigate plastic pollution in aquatic environments, finding that certain algal species can adsorb, degrade, or entrap microplastics, suggesting potential bioremediation applications though large-scale effectiveness remains to be demonstrated.

2022 Practice, progress, and proficiency in sustainability 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficiency of Microalgae Employment in Nutrient Removal (Nitrogen and Phosphorous) from Municipal Wastewater

This review examines how microalgae (tiny aquatic plants) can be used to remove nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants from municipal wastewater. While not directly about microplastics, this research is relevant because effective wastewater treatment is one way to reduce the amount of microplastics that reach waterways and eventually the food chain.

2025 Water 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential for Using Algae to Reduce Microplastics in the Environment

This review examined the potential of algae to reduce microplastic pollution both by adsorbing and intercepting plastic particles in water and by serving as a feedstock for biosynthesizing biodegradable bioplastics as alternatives to petroleum-based materials.

2025 MATEC Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Are native microalgae consortia able to remove microplastics from wastewater effluents?

Researchers investigated whether native microalgae communities found in wastewater could effectively remove microplastics from treatment plant effluent. The study monitored microplastic occurrence across two different types of wastewater treatment plants over one year, characterizing particles by shape, size, and polymer type. Evidence indicates that wastewater-native microalgae consortia show potential as a dual-purpose solution for both microplastic mitigation and biomass production.

2024 Environmental Pollution 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Algae for plastic biodegradation

This review examines how algae interact with microplastics in marine environments, both as organisms harmed by plastic pollution and as potential agents for plastic biodegradation. Microplastics reduce algal photosynthesis and growth, while algal extracellular polymeric substances can trap and sink microplastic particles. Algae-driven biodegradation represents a promising avenue for reducing the persistence of microplastic contamination in the ocean.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of algae in regulating the fate of microplastics: A review for processes, mechanisms, and influencing factors

This review examines how algae influence the fate of microplastics in aquatic environments through processes including retention, flocculation, deposition, and biodegradation. Researchers found that algae can trap microplastics via adhesion and produce extracellular substances and enzymes that contribute to aggregate formation and partial breakdown of plastic particles, though these interactions are influenced by algal species, microplastic characteristics, and environmental conditions.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microalgae-based bioremediation of refractory pollutants: an approach towards environmental sustainability

This review examines how microalgae can be used to clean up hard-to-remove pollutants, including microplastics, from contaminated environments. The authors highlight that microalgae-based bioremediation is a sustainable, eco-friendly approach that could help address the growing problem of microplastic pollution in waterways.

2025 Microbial Cell Factories 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential for Using Algae to Reduce Microplastics in the Environment

This review described how algae can reduce microplastic pollution through two mechanisms: physical adsorption and entrapment of particles into aggregates that sink, and enzymatic degradation of polymers. Additionally, algae can serve as feedstocks for producing bioplastics, offering a dual role in both plastic remediation and sustainable material production.

2025 Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)
Article Tier 2

Removals of Some High- and Low-Density Polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE), Polypropylene (PP) and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Microplastics Using Some Microalgae Types, Energy Production and Energy Recovery

This review examines how microalgae can remove microplastics from wastewater alongside producing biofuels, combining pollution remediation with energy generation. Microalgal systems could offer a dual-benefit approach to reducing plastic contamination in water treatment effluents.

2023 MOLECULAR SCIENCES AND APPLICATIONS 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential of Microalgae in Bioremediation of Wastewater

This review evaluates the potential of microalgae for wastewater bioremediation, covering their capacity to remove nutrients, heavy metals, and emerging contaminants including microplastics from a range of wastewater types.

2021 BULLETIN OF CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING AND CATALYSIS 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Present and Future Prospect of Algae: A Potential Candidate for Sustainable Pollution Mitigation

This review examines the potential of algae as a sustainable tool for pollution mitigation across multiple environmental matrices, including their role in reducing plastic and microplastic contamination.

2021 The Open Biotechnology Journal 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Heterogeneous aggregation between microplastics and microalgae: May provide new insights for microplastics removal

Researchers investigated heterogeneous aggregation between microplastics and various microalgal species, elucidating the formation process and influencing factors, which may provide new insights for developing microplastic removal strategies from aquatic environments.

2023 Aquatic Toxicology 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Utilizing Chlorella vulgaris algae as an eco-friendly coagulant for efficient removal of polyethylene microplastics from aquatic environments

Researchers tested the green algae Chlorella vulgaris as an eco-friendly coagulant for removing polyethylene microplastics from water. Using optimized experimental conditions, they achieved a removal rate of nearly 99% under the best parameters. The study suggests that algae-based coagulation offers a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to chemical methods for cleaning microplastic-contaminated water.

2023 Heliyon 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Traversing the potential of phytoremediation and phycoremediation as pioneering technologies in microplastic mitigation – A critical review

This review examines how plants and algae can be used as natural tools to capture and remove microplastics from contaminated environments. Researchers analyzed the mechanisms by which plant roots trap microplastics in soil and how algae bind to and immobilize plastic particles in water. The study suggests that these biological remediation approaches offer sustainable, low-cost alternatives to conventional cleanup methods, though further research is needed to scale them up.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics removal mechanisms in wastewater treatment plants: A review

This review examines how conventional wastewater treatment plants remove micro- and nanoplastics, and evaluates advanced technologies like membrane filtration and electrocoagulation that could improve removal rates. While existing treatment plants can capture most microplastics, they still release significant quantities into waterways through their enormous discharge volumes. The study highlights that biological treatment steps may also transform microplastics in potentially harmful ways that need further investigation.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of microplastics with microalgae and biofuel production

This review examines the potential of microalgae to simultaneously remove microplastics from water while serving as a feedstock for biofuel production, evaluating both the biosorption mechanisms involved and the downstream feasibility of converting biomass to energy.

2025