Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Mitigation of membrane particulate fouling by nano/microplastics via physical cleaning strategies

This study assessed physical cleaning strategies for removing nano- and microplastic fouling from membrane surfaces used in water treatment, finding that backwashing and chemical cleaning effectiveness varied by plastic particle size and surface charge.

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

Advancing water treatment sustainability: Investigating electrified Ti3C2T composite membranes for minimizing microplastic fouling

Researchers developed electrified composite membranes using sulfonated polyethersulfone and MXene (Ti3C2T) to reduce microplastic fouling in ultrafiltration systems, finding that applying an electric field significantly reduced plastic particle adhesion to the membrane surface. The approach offers a promising strategy for maintaining membrane performance in water treatment plants handling microplastic-contaminated water.

2023 Chemosphere 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Performance of Electrified MXene Membranes in Real Wastewater Applications

Researchers investigated the performance of electrified MXene-based membranes for nanoplastic removal from real wastewater, finding that applying an electric field significantly improved nanoplastic rejection through electrostatic repulsion and electrocoagulation mechanisms while also increasing water flux compared to non-electrified conditions.

2025 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Recent advances on micro/nanoplastic pollution and membrane fouling during water treatment: A review

Researchers reviewed recent advances in understanding how micro- and nanoplastics contribute to membrane fouling during water treatment processes. The study found that while membrane separation effectively removes microplastics from wastewater effluent, fouling caused by plastic particles along with dissolved organics and extracellular polymers remains a key obstacle, and understanding the fouling mechanisms is critical for improving treatment efficiency.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 64 citations
Review Tier 2

A review of microplastic removal from water and wastewater by membrane technologies

This review examines how membrane filtration technologies can remove microplastics from drinking water and wastewater. Researchers found that advanced membranes like nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and membrane bioreactors are among the most effective methods for capturing microplastic particles that conventional treatment plants miss. The study compares membrane approaches with other removal methods and discusses the challenges of membrane fouling caused by microplastic accumulation.

2023 Water Science & Technology 146 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics fouling and interaction with polymeric membranes: A review

This review examined microplastic fouling of polymeric membranes used in water treatment, analyzing how MPs affect membrane permeability and rejection performance, and discussing strategies — including surface modification and pre-treatment — to mitigate fouling.

2021 Chemosphere 113 citations
Article Tier 2

Membrane Cleaning Technologies for Water Treatment: A Review

Membrane filtration is one of the most effective technologies for removing microplastics from drinking water and wastewater, but membranes clog over time and require regular cleaning to maintain performance. This review evaluates the full range of cleaning methods—from simple water backwashing to ultrasonic treatment, advanced oxidation processes, and electrochemical approaches—comparing their effectiveness at removing different types of fouling without damaging the membrane. Understanding optimal cleaning strategies is important for designing cost-effective, long-lasting filtration systems that can reliably remove microplastics at scale.

2026 Academic Journal of Science and Technology
Article Tier 2

A solution for controling microplastics in drinking water

Researchers developed and tested a technology for controlling microplastic contamination in drinking water, targeting particles at concentrations relevant to typical tap and bottled water exposure. The solution demonstrated effective removal of microplastics from drinking water under realistic treatment conditions.

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

Electro-coagulation pretreatment for improving nanofiltration membrane performance during reclamation of microplastic-contaminated secondary effluent: unexpectedly enhanced membrane fouling and mechanism analysis by MD-DFT simulation

Researchers evaluated electro-coagulation as a pretreatment step for improving nanofiltration membrane performance during treatment of microplastic-contaminated wastewater. They found that at low electrical current, the pretreatment unexpectedly worsened membrane fouling because residual microplastics provided habitats for microbes that secreted sticky metabolites. At higher current levels, however, electro-coagulation effectively eliminated the negative effects of microplastics, revealing the importance of optimizing treatment parameters.

2024 Chemical Engineering Journal 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Utilizing Electrosorptionfor Efficient Removal ofPolyethylene Microplastics from Water: Critical Factors and MechanisticInsights

An electrosorption method was developed to remove polyethylene microplastics from wastewater, demonstrating improved removal efficiency compared to conventional treatment, especially for smaller particles that typically escape standard wastewater treatment plants.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

The Potential Role of Membrane Technology in the Removal of Microplastics from Wastewater

This review examines membrane filtration as a technology for removing microplastics from wastewater, finding it promising but limited by issues of fouling and chemical instability. Improving membrane technology could significantly reduce the amount of microplastics discharged into waterways from treatment plants.

2021 Journal of Applied Membrane Science & Technology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Fabrication of dual-charged MOF-based ultrafiltration membrane to remove charged nanoplastics from wastewater

Researchers developed a new type of water filter membrane that can remove over 99% of nanoplastics from wastewater while maintaining high water flow. The membrane uses metal-organic framework nanoparticles that repel plastic particles through electrical charges and physical filtering. This technology could help prevent nanoplastics, which are too small for conventional filters, from reaching drinking water sources.

2025 Journal of Water Process Engineering 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Membrane processes as a highly effective and eco-friendly technology for treating municipal water contaminated with micro- and nanoplastics.

Researchers evaluated membrane filtration as an environmentally friendly technology for removing micro- and nanoplastics from water, testing different membrane types and pore sizes. Membrane processes showed high removal efficiency for microplastics and outperformed conventional water treatment steps for the smallest particles.

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

Review and future outlook for the removal of microplastics by physical, biological and chemical methods in water bodies and wastewaters

This review compares physical, biological, and chemical methods for removing microplastics from water and wastewater, including newer approaches like advanced membranes, bacterial degradation, and electrochemical treatment. Each method has trade-offs between removal efficiency, cost, and environmental impact, and no single technique currently solves the problem completely. The review emphasizes that developing effective microplastic removal technology is urgent for protecting both ecosystems and human drinking water supplies.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of microplastics from wastewater through electrocoagulation-electroflotation and membrane filtration processes

Researchers investigated electrocoagulation-electroflotation and membrane filtration for removing microplastics from wastewater, finding that combining these processes effectively recovers microplastic particles from treatment plant effluent.

2021 Water Science & Technology 149 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the performance of electrocoagulation system in the removal of polystyrene microplastics from water

Researchers tested electrocoagulation, a water treatment method that uses electric current to clump particles together, for removing polystyrene microplastics from water. Using aluminum electrodes at neutral pH, they achieved over 90% removal efficiency. This technology could provide a practical and effective way to remove microplastics from drinking water and wastewater, reducing human exposure to these contaminants.

2023 Environmental Research 40 citations
Article Tier 2

The exploitation of bio-electrochemical system and microplastics removal: Possibilities and perspectives

This review explores bio-electrochemical systems as a sustainable alternative for removing microplastics from water, since current removal methods are costly, energy-intensive, and can release toxic chemicals. Bio-electrochemical systems use microorganisms to generate electricity while simultaneously treating wastewater, offering a cleaner approach. Though still in early research stages, this technology could provide an efficient and environmentally friendly way to reduce microplastic contamination in water supplies.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Innovative prototype for the mitigation of water pollution from microplastics to safeguard the environment and health

Researchers developed an innovative prototype device for removing microplastics from water through a combination of filtration and electrocoagulation, demonstrating high MP removal efficiency from both synthetic and real water samples in controlled trials.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Filtering and continuously separating microplastics from water using electric field gradients formed electrochemically in the absence of buffer

Scientists developed a microfluidic system that uses electric fields to continuously separate particles — including microplastics — from water flow without chemical additives. Electric field-based separation could offer a low-energy, chemical-free approach to removing microplastics from water streams.

2021 Chemical Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Electrocoagulation as a Possible Treatment for Wastewater Contaminated with Microplastics - A Review

This review examined electrocoagulation and hybrid membrane technologies as innovative approaches for removing microplastics from wastewater, noting that MPs are omnipresent pollutants capable of biomagnification. The review covered the effectiveness of electrochemical processes, advanced oxidation, and membrane filtration systems including their combination for enhanced microplastic removal.

2024 BIO Web of Conferences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Coagulation technologies for separation of microplastics in water: current status

This review examines how coagulation water treatment technologies can remove microplastics from water. Conventional coagulation achieves 8-98% removal efficiency while electrocoagulation achieves 8-99%, depending on conditions, offering a potentially effective approach for reducing microplastics in drinking water and wastewater.

2023 Journal of Physics Conference Series
Article Tier 2

Combining nanofiltration and electrooxidation for complete removal of nanoplastics from water

Researchers developed a two-step water treatment method that combines nanofiltration (a fine membrane filter) with electrooxidation (using electricity to break down pollutants) to completely remove nanoplastics from water. This approach is significant because nanoplastics are too small for many conventional filters to catch, and this system was able to eliminate them entirely.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic on submerged nanofiltration for advanced drinking water treatment

Researchers investigated how microplastics in reservoir water affect the performance of submerged nanofiltration membranes used for drinking water treatment. The study found that the presence of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics influenced the removal of dissolved organic matter by the membrane, with implications for optimizing advanced water treatment processes.

2026 Scientific Reports
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Membrane Fouling by Microplastic Particles in Tertiary Wastewater Treatment Processes

Researchers evaluated membrane fouling caused by microplastic particles during tertiary wastewater treatment, finding that microplastics contributed to fouling through pore blocking and cake layer formation, which reduced membrane performance and treatment efficiency.

2022 ACS ES&T Water 39 citations