Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastic release from facial and body scrubs in aquatic ecosystems

Researchers analyzed six popular face and body scrub products and found an average of nearly 300 microplastic particles per gram, predominantly made of polyethylene in irregular shapes, estimating that significant quantities of these particles are released into waterways through wastewater treatment systems with each use.

2025 Applied Water Science 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Critical comparison of rapid methods for the extraction of microplastics from wastewater and investigation of a facile alternative

Researchers critically compared rapid extraction methods for microplastics from wastewater samples and investigated a facile alternative approach, evaluating how well established protocols perform on environmental samples relative to their original optimization conditions.

2025 Chemosphere
Article Tier 2

Reducing microplastics from facial exfoliating cleansers in wastewater through treatment versus consumer product decisions

Researchers characterized the microbeads found in commercial facial exfoliating cleansers — measuring size, polymer type, and quantity — and estimated how many microbeads escape treatment at wastewater plants based on published removal data. The study provides a practical case for banning microbeads from personal care products to reduce plastic loading in freshwater systems.

2015 Marine Pollution Bulletin 257 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimising microplastics analysis for quantifying and identifying microplastic fibres in laundry wastewater

This methodological paper optimized microplastic analysis protocols for identifying and quantifying particles in environmental samples, comparing extraction, digestion, and spectroscopic identification approaches to improve accuracy and reduce contamination.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbeads in Commercial Facial Cleansers: Threatening the Environment

Researchers extracted and analyzed microbeads from four commercial facial cleansers, finding concentrations high enough to raise concerns about environmental release through wastewater. The study adds to the evidence that personal care products are a significant and preventable source of primary microplastics entering aquatic ecosystems.

2017 CLEAN - Soil Air Water 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Extraction and Analysis of Microplastic Beads from Personal Care Products

Researchers extracted and characterized polyethylene microbeads from personal care products using hydrogen peroxide/nitric acid digestion followed by FTIR spectroscopy and stereomicroscopy, confirming that three of six facial cleansers tested contained microplastic beads not removed by wastewater treatment, highlighting a direct consumer product pathway to aquatic microplastic pollution.

2022 Current Analytical Chemistry 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Validation of Sample Preparation Methods for Microplastic Analysis in Wastewater Matrices—Reproducibility and Standardization

Sample preparation methods for microplastic analysis in wastewater were validated against reference standards to assess recovery rates and reproducibility. The validation study identified methods that reliably extract microplastics from complex wastewater matrices, supporting more consistent environmental monitoring of microplastic discharge from treatment plants.

2020 Water 180 citations
Article Tier 2

Sensitive quantification and morphological analysis of microfibers in laundry wastewater: Standardization and validation of a fluorescence-based method

Synthetic microfibers shed during laundry make up a large share of microplastics found in aquatic environments, but accurately counting them in wastewater has been technically inconsistent between labs. This study standardized and validated a fluorescence-based staining method for quantifying microfibers in laundry effluent, making it faster and more accessible than conventional spectroscopic approaches. A validated standard method is critical for generating comparable data across studies and informing regulations on microfiber pollution from washing machines.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on the Extraction Method of Microplastic System in Textile Wastewater

This study developed and evaluated methods for extracting and quantifying microplastics from textile wastewater, addressing the lack of standardized analytical protocols for this important industrial source of microplastic pollution.

2023 Polymers 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Approaches for Sampling and Sample Preparation for Microplastic Analysis in Laundry Effluents

Researchers reviewed sampling and sample preparation methods for analyzing microplastics in laundry effluents. The study highlights the lack of standardized methods for quantifying textile fiber microplastics released during washing and emphasizes the need for consistent analytical approaches to better understand this significant source of microplastic pollution.

2024 Sustainability 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Physical-chemical characterization of microplastics present in some exfoliating products from Spain

Researchers physically and chemically characterised microplastics from ten personal care exfoliating products marketed in Spain, finding polyethylene microspheres in concentrations between 6-7% of total product weight in some cases. Smaller particles generally appeared at higher concentrations, highlighting these products as a direct source of microplastic pollution entering waterways.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in wastewater treatment plants of Wuhan, Central China: Abundance, removal, and potential source in household wastewater

Two wastewater treatment plants in Wuhan, China, removed 62-66% of incoming microplastics, and household sources including clothing laundering, facial cleansers, and toothpaste were identified as dominant contributors. Washing one kilogram of clothing released over 150,000 fibers, making laundry the largest single household microplastic source.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 165 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Microplastics from Laundry Wastewater Using Coagulation and Membrane Combination: A Laboratory-Scale Study

Researchers characterized microplastics in raw domestic laundry wastewater (9,000–11,000 particles/L, dominated by polyester fibers) and tested whether combining coagulation with ultrafiltration membrane filtration improved MP removal. The combined process significantly enhanced removal compared to coagulation alone, highlighting laundry wastewater as a major MP source amenable to treatment at scale.

2025 Membranes 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification, removal of microplastics and surfactants from laundry wastewater using electrocoagulation method

Laundry wastewater from a 2 kg synthetic fabric load released up to 114,300 microfibers per wash, and an electrocoagulation treatment removed roughly 98% of those fibers along with surfactants and organic load in about 25 minutes at a cost of US$0.53 per cubic meter. The results highlight both how significant laundry is as a microplastic source and that electrocoagulation is a cost-effective option for treating it before wastewater reaches natural waterways.

2023 Water Emerging Contaminants & Nanoplastics 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Textile microfibers reaching aquatic environments: A new estimation approach

Researchers developed a new estimation approach for quantifying the mass flow of textile microfibers from household laundry that ultimately reaches aquatic environments, addressing the absence of accurate models for assessing microfiber contributions to microplastic pollution. The method provides a more systematic framework for estimating the environmental load from domestic washing.

2020 Environmental Pollution 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbeads in personal care products sold in Pakistan: extraction, quantification, characterization, and buoyancy analysis

Analysis of twelve personal care products sold in Pakistan — including face washes and scrubs — found plastic microbeads in all of them, ranging from ethylene-vinyl acetate to polyethylene and PET, with most particles sinking in water and therefore likely to settle in aquatic sediments after rinsing. This study underscores the need for stronger regulation of microbead-containing cosmetics in markets where bans have not yet been introduced.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of MiniPlast Filters for Microplastic Removal from Laundry Wastewater

Researchers evaluated MiniPlast in-washing machine filters for capturing synthetic microfibers released during laundry cycles, finding that the filters significantly reduced microplastic emissions in wastewater and could serve as a practical household intervention for reducing microfiber pollution.

2025 Jurnal Pengelolaan Sumberdaya Alam dan Lingkungan (Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Management)
Article Tier 2

Personal Care and Cosmetic Products as a Potential Source of Environmental Contamination by Microplastics in a Densely Populated Asian City

Researchers surveyed personal care and cosmetic products sold in a densely populated Asian city for microbeads and other microplastic ingredients, documenting the extent of microbead-containing products still on the market and estimating their potential contribution to municipal wastewater microplastic loads.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 186 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in wastewater: Sources, distribution, detection and remediation through physical and chemical-biological methods

This review covers how microplastics end up in wastewater from sources like textile fibers, personal care microbeads, and broken-down plastic debris, and how they often survive the treatment process. Current removal methods like filtration and chemical degradation are costly and not fully effective. The lack of standardized ways to measure microplastics in wastewater makes it difficult to assess the full scope of human exposure through water systems.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 118 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparision protocols for extraction of microplastics in water samples

Researchers compared four different extraction protocols for isolating microplastics from water samples and found significant differences in efficiency and accuracy across methods. Standardized extraction protocols are critical for producing comparable microplastic abundance data across studies. Without consistent methodology, it is difficult to build a reliable global picture of microplastic contamination levels in water.

2023 Vietnam Journal of Marine Science and Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Development and Efficiency Evaluation of Microplastic Removal Filter for Laundry Machines

Researchers developed a four-stage filter for laundry machines designed to capture microplastics released during washing. Over 50 tests, the filter achieved an average microplastic removal rate of 98.5%, along with 92% removal of chemical oxygen demand. The most common microplastics in laundry wastewater were polyethylene (57%), followed by PET and nylon, highlighting both the scale of laundry-related microplastic pollution and the effectiveness of filtration solutions.

2025 Water 5 citations
Article Tier 2

The significant impacts of laundry wastewater on microplastics: a case study in a residential area

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in laundry wastewater from a residential area and tracked their contribution to urban drainage, finding that laundry effluent is a significant and underestimated source of microfibers entering municipal sewer systems and subsequently rivers.

2024 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Determining an optimized laboratory procedure to extract microplastics from wastewater treatment plant effluents using the acid-washing process

This study developed and optimized an acid-washing protocol for extracting microplastics from wastewater treatment plant effluents. An efficient extraction method is essential for accurately measuring the microplastics that wastewater plants fail to fully remove before releasing treated water into the environment.

2023 Desalination and Water Treatment
Article Tier 2

Improving of an easy, effective and low-cost method for isolation of microplastic fibers collected in drying machines filters

Researchers improved and validated a low-cost method for isolating microplastic fibers from water samples, addressing methodological gaps in measuring fiber release from clothing in both washing and mechanical drying processes.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations