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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Transformation products of contaminants of emerging concern in water by UV-based processes
ClearUnveiling the optical and molecular characteristics of aging microplastics derived dissolved organic matter transformed by UV/chlor(am)ine oxidation and its potential for disinfection byproducts formation
Researchers studied how UV light and common water disinfection chemicals break down microplastics in water and found that different treatment methods produce different types of dissolved organic matter from the plastic. Some treatment combinations, particularly UV with chlorine, created byproducts that could form harmful disinfection byproducts when water is later chlorinated. This is important because it means water treatment processes might unintentionally create new toxic compounds from the microplastics already present in water.
Insight into the dynamic transformation properties of microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter and its contribution to the formation of chlorination disinfection by-products
Researchers studied how dissolved organic matter released from microplastics transforms under UV light and how it contributes to the formation of harmful disinfection byproducts during water chlorination. They found that UV exposure changed the chemical composition of the microplastic-derived organic matter, affecting its reactivity during disinfection. The findings suggest that microplastics in water sources may indirectly increase the formation of potentially harmful chemicals during standard water treatment.
Effects of UV light on physicochemical changes in thermoplastic polyurethanes: Mechanism and disinfection byproduct formation
Researchers examined how UV light exposure changes the properties of thermoplastic polyurethane microplastics in water and whether those changes affect the formation of harmful disinfection byproducts during water chlorination. They found that UV exposure broke the plastic into smaller fragments and released soluble chemicals that significantly increased byproduct formation after chlorination. The findings suggest that aging microplastics in water systems could contribute to the creation of potentially harmful chemicals during standard water treatment.
Transformation of microplastics during UV-LED based water disinfection: Mechanistic insights and environmental implications
Researchers investigated how UV-based water disinfection treatments transform the physical and chemical properties of common microplastics like polystyrene, polyethylene, and PVC. They found that treatment created surface cracks, reduced water repellency, and generated various breakdown compounds, some of which showed toxicity to aquatic organisms. The study highlights that while UV disinfection effectively treats pathogens, it may inadvertently create new environmental risks by altering microplastics in the water supply.
Microplastic-Pharmaceutical Interactions and Their Disruptive Impact on UV and Chemical Water Disinfection Efficacy
This paper explores how microplastics originating from pharmaceutical coatings may interfere with common water disinfection methods including UV irradiation and chemical treatment like chlorination. Researchers propose that these microplastics can disrupt disinfection through physical shielding of pathogens, adsorption of disinfectant chemicals, and catalytic transformation of treatment agents. The findings suggest that pharmaceutical-derived microplastics represent an underrecognized challenge for maintaining water treatment effectiveness.
Volatile organic compounds generation pathways and mechanisms from microplastics in water: Ultraviolet, chlorine and ultraviolet/chlorine disinfection
Researchers examined how UV, chlorine, and combined UV/chlorine disinfection treatments cause microplastics to release volatile organic compounds, identifying distinct degradation pathways for polypropylene, polystyrene, and PVC that generate diverse chemical byproducts in treated water.
Non-Negligible Effects of UV Irradiation on Transformation and Environmental Risks of Microplastics in the Water Environment
This review examines how UV irradiation drives photoaging of microplastics in aquatic environments, altering their surface chemistry, mechanical properties, and adsorption capacity for co-pollutants, and thereby amplifying their ecotoxicological risks beyond those of virgin plastic particles.
Effects of UV-based oxidation processes on the degradation of microplastic: Fragmentation, organic matter release, toxicity and disinfection byproduct formation
This study examined how UV-based water treatment processes break down microplastics, finding that while the treatments fragment the plastics into smaller pieces, they also release potentially toxic organic compounds. The smaller fragments and released chemicals may actually pose greater risks than the original microplastics. This is an important finding because it suggests that some water purification methods could unintentionally make microplastic pollution more hazardous to human health.
Trade-offs in microplastic-adsorbed iopamidol degradation by UV-AOPs: Molecular-level insights into deiodination pathways versus iodinated disinfection by-products formation
This study examined how a common medical contrast agent called iopamidol behaves when it sticks to microplastics during UV water treatment. The researchers found that different UV treatment methods create a trade-off: one approach breaks down the chemical more effectively but produces toxic byproducts, while another retains harmful iodine compounds. The findings matter because they show that microplastics in water treatment systems can complicate the removal of pharmaceutical pollutants.
Insight into the effect of UVC-based advanced oxidation processes on the interaction of typical microplastics and their derived disinfection byproducts during disinfection
Scientists found that UV-based water treatment processes, while intended to clean drinking water, caused microplastics to release more organic matter and form more disinfection byproducts during chlorination. Up to 42% of the toxic byproducts formed were absorbed back onto the microplastic surfaces, creating contaminated particles. This concerning finding suggests that some common water treatment methods could unintentionally make microplastic contamination in drinking water more hazardous.
Transformation of dissolved organic matter leached from biodegradable and conventional microplastics under UV/chlorine treatment and the subsequent effect on contaminant removal
This study examined how dissolved chemicals leaching from both biodegradable and conventional microplastics behave during UV/chlorine water treatment. The treatment changed the chemical properties of the leached substances and actually inhibited the breakdown of a common antibiotic pollutant. The findings suggest that microplastic-derived chemicals in water could interfere with standard water purification processes, potentially reducing their effectiveness.
UV-filter pollution: current concerns and future prospects.
This review examines how UV-filter chemicals from sunscreens and industrial products enter aquatic environments and what their ecological effects are. UV-filters are also used as additives in plastics, making their environmental release relevant to the broader chemical pollution associated with plastic waste.
Modifications of ultraviolet irradiation and chlorination on microplastics: Effect of sterilization pattern
Researchers found that both UV irradiation and chlorination used in drinking water treatment alter the surface properties, size distribution, and chemical composition of microplastics, with combined treatments producing greater modifications and potentially increasing the release of plastic additives and adsorbed contaminants.
UV aging of microplastic polymers promotes their chemical transformation and byproduct formation upon chlorination
Researchers studied how UV aging of different microplastic polymers affects their behavior during water chlorination treatment. They found that UV aging significantly increased the reactivity of polyamide and polyester microplastics, promoting the release of harmful organic compounds and the formation of disinfection byproducts by more than 10-fold. The study reveals that weathered microplastics in drinking water systems may generate more toxic byproducts during standard chlorination than their pristine counterparts.
Norfloxacin removal by ultraviolet-activated sodium percarbonate and sodium hypochlorite: process optimization and anion effect
This paper is not about microplastics; it evaluates UV-activated chemical processes for removing the antibiotic norfloxacin from water.
Fate and potential risks of microplastic fibers and fragments in water and wastewater treatment processes
Researchers tested how different water treatment steps handle microplastic fibers and fragments, finding that sand filtration was most effective at 98% removal, while activated sludge and chemical treatment removed only 55-61%. Importantly, UV-based disinfection caused microplastic fragments to release dissolved chemicals that were toxic to cells and bacteria. This study reveals that some water treatment processes, while removing visible microplastics, may inadvertently create new chemical hazards from the plastic particles they break down.
Potential disinfection byproducts-related risks to drinking water? Molecular insights into the dissolved organic matter from photodegradation of polyethylene microplastics
This study analyzed the dissolved organic matter released during photodegradation of polyethylene microplastics, finding that sunlight exposure generates complex organic compounds that could act as precursors to disinfection byproducts in drinking water treatment. The results highlight an underappreciated pathway by which microplastics may affect drinking water safety.
Studies of the Photo-transformation of Emerging Contaminants Adsorbed onto Plastic in an Aqueous Environment
This thesis investigated how light exposure transforms chemical contaminants adsorbed onto microplastics in water, examining how UV-driven photo-transformation changes the toxicity of pollutants like PCBs and PAHs attached to plastic surfaces. Understanding these transformations is important for assessing the true environmental risk of chemical-laden microplastics.
Characteristics of microplastic polymer-derived dissolved organic matter and its potential as a disinfection byproduct precursor
UV irradiation caused polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics to leach dissolved organic matter into water, producing low-molecular-weight compounds that could react with chlorine during water treatment to form trihalomethanes, a known class of disinfection byproducts and carcinogens. The findings suggest that microplastics in source water could be a previously unrecognized precursor to harmful disinfection byproducts.
Which\nMicropollutants in Water Environments Deserve\nMore Attention Globally?
This review analyzed which organic micropollutants in water environments deserve the most global attention based on their toxicity, occurrence frequency, and persistence. Microplastics are among the contaminants considered, alongside pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals that routinely escape conventional water treatment and accumulate in aquatic ecosystems.