Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Wastewater Treatment Methods for Removal of Microplastics from Effluents

This book chapter reviewed pressure membrane technologies — including ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis — for removing microplastics and nanoplastics from wastewater effluents. The authors evaluate the performance, cost, and limitations of each membrane type and discuss how combinations of technologies can achieve higher removal efficiencies.

2025
Article Tier 2

Performance of MOF-containing active layer and HOF-based support layer of ultrafiltration membrane for nanoplastics removal from secondary effluent

Researchers built a novel ultrafiltration membrane using two advanced porous framework materials to filter nanoplastics out of real wastewater treatment plant effluent, successfully identifying and removing poly(methyl methacrylate), polyethylene, and polystyrene nanoparticles. The work addresses a critical gap because conventional wastewater treatment does not reliably remove nanoplastics before treated water is discharged.

2026 Separation and Purification Technology
Article Tier 2

Fouling behavior heterogeneity of typical nanoplastics in widely used polyvinylidene fluoride ultrafiltration membranes

Polystyrene nanoplastics caused more severe membrane fouling and greater cleaning difficulty in polyvinylidene fluoride ultrafiltration membranes than polyethylene nanoplastics, with flux descent rates ranging from 9–36%, raising concerns about nanoplastics passing through or fouling water treatment membranes.

2024 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Remediation of Micro- and Nanoplastics by Membrane Technologies

This review examined how membrane filtration technologies can remove micro- and nanoplastics from water and wastewater, since conventional treatment plants cannot fully eliminate these particles. Researchers found that techniques like ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and membrane bioreactors are highly effective at capturing microplastics, though each has trade-offs related to cost, fouling, and energy use. The study also raises the concern that polymeric membranes themselves could potentially release plastic particles during the filtration process.

2025 Membranes 15 citations
Article Tier 2

An assessment of the impact of structure and type of microplastics on ultrafiltration technology for microplastic remediation

Researchers assessed ultrafiltration technology for microplastic removal from water, finding that membrane performance varied based on microplastic structure, size, and polymer type, with implications for optimizing tertiary treatment in water purification systems.

2023 Science Progress 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Advancements in Sustainable Membrane Technologies for Enhanced Remediation and Wastewater Treatment: A Comprehensive Review

This review covers membrane filtration technologies—reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, and ultrafiltration—as methods for removing contaminants from water, with relevance to microplastic and nanoplastic removal from drinking water and wastewater. Advancing membrane-based treatment is critical for reducing the microplastic load in treated water that humans and ecosystems are ultimately exposed to.

2023 Acadlore Transactions on Geosciences 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the performance of the metal organic framework-based ultrafiltration membrane for nanoplastics removal

Researchers created an advanced membrane filter using metal-organic framework nanoparticles that removed over 99% of nanoplastics from water while maintaining high water flow rates. The membrane resisted fouling and worked reliably across multiple cycles and different water conditions. This type of technology could improve wastewater treatment plants' ability to prevent nanoplastics from reaching drinking water supplies.

2024 Separation and Purification Technology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Filtration Solutions for Microplastic Mitigation: Cutting-Edge Filtration Technologies and Membrane Innovations for Environmental Protection

This review focused on membrane-based filtration technologies—including microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration—as strategies for removing microplastics from water. The authors evaluated removal efficiencies across membrane types and concluded that while membranes show strong performance, fouling and operational costs remain barriers to large-scale deployment.

2025 Applied Sciences
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

Removal of Polypropylene Particle Contaminants Using Membrane Technology to Mitigate Microplastics Pollution in the Environment

Researchers tested the ability of different membrane types to remove polypropylene microplastic particles from water, evaluating separation efficiency under varying conditions. Membranes achieved high removal rates for particles above a threshold size, with performance depending on membrane pore size, material, and operating pressure.

2025 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science
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

Pressure-Driven Membrane Processes for Removing Microplastics

This review examines the use of pressure-driven membrane processes, including microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis, for removing micro- and nanoplastics from water. Researchers found these membrane technologies can achieve removal rates of up to 100% in aqueous environments such as stormwater, wastewater, and landfill leachate. The study highlights both the operational challenges and innovations in membrane design that could enable broader application of these techniques.

2025 Membranes 7 citations
Article Tier 2

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

This review assessed membrane filtration processes as a method for removing micro- and nanoplastics from water, evaluating their effectiveness and environmental footprint compared to conventional treatment approaches. Membrane technologies showed high removal efficiency for both micro- and nanoplastics and were identified as among the most promising eco-friendly treatment options.

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

Impact of Nano- and Microplastics on Membrane Technology Performance

This thesis investigated the influence of model microplastic fibers on membrane technologies used in wastewater treatment, specifically crossflow ultrafiltration and membrane bioreactor systems, finding that microplastics minimally affected performance during the initial start-up phase. The findings suggest these membrane technologies are relatively resilient to microplastic contamination in early operation.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Removal behaviors and mechanism of polystyrene microplastics by coagulation/ultrafiltration process: Co-effects of humic acid

Researchers investigated coagulation-ultrafiltration for removing polystyrene microplastics from drinking water, finding that aluminum-based coagulants achieved over 92% removal efficiency and that humic acid co-presence affected the removal mechanism and membrane fouling.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of membrane surface after the filtration of surface water containing microplastic

Researchers tested ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes on real river water containing microplastics and found both membrane types completely removed plastic particles from the filtered water, though the deposited microplastics reduced water flow through the membranes over time — confirming membrane filtration as an effective but imperfect water treatment strategy.

2025 Desalination and Water Treatment 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Análise de técnicas de remediação para a mitigação de micro e nanoplásticos em oceanos com base na revisão da literatura

This review analyzed scientific literature on remediation techniques for removing micro- and nanoplastics from ocean environments, identifying and comparing two key approaches: the first focused on membrane-based methods — ultrafiltration, membrane bioreactors, and dynamic membrane technology — for wastewater treatment, and the second examined nanomaterials as adsorbents. Membrane technologies demonstrated high removal efficiency for micro- and nanoplastics, though each method presents implementation challenges that require further research.

2024
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

Understanding the fate of nano-plastics in wastewater treatment plants and their removal using membrane processes

This review assessed what is known about the fate of nanoplastics in wastewater treatment plants, highlighting that conventional treatment processes are poorly suited to removing particles below 1 µm and that membrane-based processes show the most promise for nanoplastic removal.

2021 Chemosphere 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of hydroxyapatite-enhanced membrane for nanoplastics removal: Multiple scenarios and mechanism exploration

Researchers developed a novel hydroxyapatite-functionalized PVDF membrane (HAPF) for nanoplastics removal, achieving a water flux of 4376 LMH and high polystyrene nanoplastic rejection efficiency, with the optimized membrane prepared via a one-step method at pH 7.3.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials