Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Experimental Study of the Impact of Trace Amounts of Acetylene and Methylacetylene on the Synthesis, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Polypropylene

Researchers found that trace amounts of acetylene and methylacetylene impurities in propylene feedstock affect polypropylene synthesis productivity and alter the mechanical and thermal properties of the resulting polymer, with implications for quality control in industrial plastic production.

2022 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Furan as Impurity in Green Ethylene and Its Effects on the Productivity of Random Ethylene–Propylene Copolymer Synthesis and Its Thermal and Mechanical Properties

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper studies how trace levels of furan impurity in bio-based ("green") ethylene affect the efficiency of ethylene-propylene copolymer synthesis and the resulting polymer's thermal and mechanical properties.

2023 Polymers 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Co-Pyrolysis of Polypropylene with Triacylglycerol-Based Waste Biomass to Obtain Sustainable Hydrocarbons

Despite its title referencing polypropylene co-pyrolysis, this paper studies the thermal breakdown of polypropylene plastic waste combined with biodiesel industry byproducts to produce renewable hydrocarbon fuels — not microplastic pollution. It examines chemical product yields from waste-to-fuel conversion, and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.

2025 Sustainable Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polypropylene Contamination in Post-Consumer Polyolefin Waste: Characterisation, Consequences and Compatibilisation

Researchers characterized polypropylene contamination in post-consumer polyolefin plastic waste, finding that heterogeneous contaminants significantly compromise recycled material properties and examined compatibilisation strategies to improve recycling outcomes.

2021 Polymers 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Theoretical–Experimental Study of the Action of Trace Amounts of Formaldehyde, Propionaldehyde, and Butyraldehyde as Inhibitors of the Ziegler–Natta Catalyst and the Synthesis of an Ethylene–Propylene Copolymer

This study used theoretical and experimental methods to characterize how trace amounts of aldehyde impurities including formaldehyde, propionaldehyde, and butyraldehyde act as inhibitors of Ziegler-Natta catalysts during ethylene-propylene copolymer synthesis, with implications for quality control in polyolefin production.

2023 Polymers 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Common laboratory reagents: Are they a double-edged sword in microplastics research?

This study tested whether common laboratory reagents themselves are contaminated with microplastics and found measurable plastic particles in several widely used chemicals, raising the concern that lab reagents could be an overlooked source of contamination in microplastic research.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: research landscape, challenges, and remediation

This review synthesizes research on microplastic pollution sources, polymer types, and remediation strategies, identifying polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyvinyl chloride as the most prevalent polymers and highlighting chemical additives such as phthalates as compounding environmental hazards.

2022 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Suspected sources of microplastics and nanoplastics: Contamination from experimental reagents and solvents

Researchers tested common laboratory chemicals used in microplastic detection and found that many of them already contain microplastic particles as contaminants. Hydrogen peroxide, sodium chloride solutions, and other standard reagents all introduced measurable amounts of plastic particles, potentially skewing research results. The study highlights an important but overlooked source of error in microplastic research and recommends that scientists pre-filter their reagents to avoid false readings.

2023 Water Research 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in water and wastewater: occurrence, toxicity, analytical approach, and remediation

This comprehensive review analyzed microplastic occurrence and toxicity in water and wastewater across studies from all continents, finding polyethylene and polypropylene as the most common polymer types and reviewing detection, quantification, and remediation methods.

2025 Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Article Tier 2

Microscopic Raman-based rapid detection of submicron/nano polypropylene plastics in tea and tea beverages

Using microscopic Raman spectroscopy, researchers detected and quantified submicron- and nanoscale polypropylene plastic particles leached into tea and tea beverages, expanding analytical focus beyond the commonly studied polystyrene model particles.

2024 Food Chemistry 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Degradation of polypropylene : proportion of microplastics formed and assessment of their density.

Researchers quantified the proportion of microplastics generated during UV-driven degradation of polypropylene and assessed changes in chemical composition caused by photooxidation. The study found that UV exposure progressively fragments polypropylene and alters its surface chemistry, affecting subsequent environmental behavior and toxicity.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Characterization of polymer properties and identification of additives in commercially available research plastics

This study analyzed 59 commercially available plastic samples and found significant variations in their chemical additives, thermal properties, and molecular structures. The research highlights that plastics used in recycling studies often contain undisclosed additives that could affect results and pose health risks. This is relevant to microplastics research because it shows the chemical complexity of real-world plastics, meaning microplastic particles people encounter contain a mix of potentially harmful additives beyond just the plastic itself.

2024 Green Chemistry 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Widely Used Polypropylene-Made Food Containers

Researchers found that all 210 polypropylene takeout food containers sampled from seven Chinese cities contained microplastics, with 3 to 43 particles per container, suggesting widespread human exposure to microplastics through commonly used food packaging.

2022 Toxics 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Nanoprecipitated PET Nanoplastics by 1H NMR and Impact of Residual Ionic Surfactant on Viability of Human Primary Mononuclear Cells and Hemolysis of Erythrocytes

Researchers produced and characterized nanoprecipitated PET nanoplastics using proton NMR, finding that the manufacturing process introduced surfactant contamination that significantly altered particle surface properties and must be accounted for in toxicological testing.

2023 Preprints.org 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Degradation of polypropylene : proportion of microplastics formed and assessment of their density.

This study quantified microplastic formation during UV degradation of polypropylene and characterized the chemical changes in the polymer structure caused by photooxidation. UV exposure was shown to generate new particles and alter chemical composition in ways that may change microplastic toxicity and environmental behavior.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the influence of polystyrene standards on quantification in environmental samples

Researchers tested how different types and molecular weights of polystyrene standards affect the accuracy of a common analytical method used to measure microplastics in environmental samples. They found that the choice of standard material can significantly over- or underestimate actual microplastic concentrations, with low-molecular-weight standards causing the most inaccurate readings. The study calls for greater standardization in analytical methods to ensure reliable microplastic measurements across studies.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Insight into the physical and chemical attributes of polypropylene microplastics

Researchers characterized the physical and chemical properties of polypropylene microplastics using electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. They found that the particles had irregular shapes with rough, cracked surfaces and sizes ranging from 14 to 96 micrometers, with spectral signatures confirming degradation. The study also identified that a 5% concentration of sodium lauryl sulfate provided optimal dispersion of these microplastics, addressing stability issues for laboratory research.

2024 ESTEEM Academic Journal 3 citations
Article Tier 2

An assessment of the toxicity of polypropylene microplastics in human derived cells

Researchers assessed the toxicity of polypropylene microplastics on human-derived cell lines and found that the particles triggered inflammatory responses and oxidative stress at concentrations relevant to environmental exposure. The microplastics also affected cell viability and caused measurable changes in immune-related gene expression. The study raises concerns about potential health effects from chronic human exposure to one of the most commonly produced plastic types.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 621 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification Challenges in Polymer Analysis in Urban Runoff and Wastewater using Pressurized Liquid Extraction and Double-Shot Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Researchers optimized methods for isolating and measuring common microplastics like polyethylene and polystyrene in urban runoff and wastewater samples. They found that standard extraction techniques achieved only 43-58% recovery rates, and that calibration methods significantly affected measurement accuracy. The study highlights ongoing challenges in reliably quantifying microplastic pollution in real-world water samples.

2025 Analytical Chemistry 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of the Environmental İmpact of Petroleum Product Waste Generated During Polyethylene Production at the SOCAR Polymer Plant

Researchers analyzed the environmental impact of polyethylene production at the SOCAR Polymer plant, examining the morphological composition of waste generated during synthesis, polymerization, and granulation stages and quantifying emissions of petroleum product waste with implications for microplastic pollution.

2025 The Research Journal of Forest and Ecosystems
Article Tier 2

Identification of polymer types and additives in marine microplastic particles using pyrolysis-GC/MS and scanning electron microscopy

Researchers used pyrolysis and thermal analysis to identify polymer types and plastic additives in marine microplastic particles, finding a diverse range of polymers and additive chemicals in samples from multiple ocean environments.

2013 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 888 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of surface oxidation on the quantification of polypropylene microplastics by pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry

Photo-oxidation of polypropylene microplastics affected their quantification by pyrolysis-GC/MS, with surface oxidation reducing measured PP mass by up to 30% relative to virgin material due to changes in thermal degradation products, indicating that environmental weathering introduces systematic bias into thermoanalytical quantification of aged microplastics.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Polymerization in the Borstar Polypropylene Hybrid Process: Combining Technology and Catalyst for Optimized Product Performance

This technical review describes how the Borstar polypropylene manufacturing process, combined with specific catalysts, enables production of polypropylene with tailored properties — covering a fundamental plastic production technology.

2022 Polymers 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics are overestimated due to poor quality control of reagents

This study demonstrated that inadequate quality control of chemical reagents used in microplastic analysis can introduce contamination that leads to systematic overestimation of microplastic concentrations in environmental samples, highlighting a critical methodological flaw in the field.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 29 citations