Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Nanophotocatalytic synergistic degradation of antibiotics and microplastics: Mechanisms, material design, and environmental applications

This review examines how microplastics and antibiotics interact in water during photocatalytic treatment, finding that microplastics can both help (by shuttling electrons) and hinder (by shielding light or hosting biofilms) the degradation process, depending on conditions. Aged microplastics — which have more surface oxygen groups — adsorb more antibiotics, making them tougher composite targets for treatment systems. Understanding these interactions is essential for designing water purification systems that can handle the combined pollution reality of modern waterways.

2026 Environmental Technology & Innovation
Article Tier 2

The Photocatalytic Degradation of Enrofloxacin Using an Ecofriendly Natural Iron Mineral: The Relationship Between the Degradation Routes, Generated Byproducts, and Antimicrobial Activity of Treated Solutions

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research; it investigates the photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotic enrofloxacin in water using a natural iron mineral, focusing on pharmaceutical contamination rather than plastic particles.

2024 Molecules 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Reviewing Perovskite Oxide-Based Materials for the Effective Treatment of Antibiotic-Polluted Environments: Challenges, Trends, and New Insights

This review covers perovskite oxide materials as catalysts for breaking down antibiotic pollution in water through advanced photocatalysis. While focused on antibiotic removal rather than microplastics directly, the technology is relevant because microplastics in water can carry antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Better water treatment methods that address multiple contaminants could help reduce overall human exposure to both antibiotics and microplastics.

2024 Surfaces 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Preparation of a Series of Highly Efficient Porous Adsorbent PGMA-N Molecules and Its Application in the Co-Removal of Cu(II) and Sulfamethoxazole from Water

This paper is not about microplastics; it describes a porous polymer adsorbent material (PGMA-N) designed to simultaneously remove copper ions and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole from water.

2023 Molecules 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Photo-Fenton treatment of emerging pollutants in municipal wastewater using nanocatalysts: A sustainable approach

This study evaluated photo-Fenton oxidation using nanocatalysts as a sustainable treatment for pharmaceuticals, pesticides, personal care products, and microplastics in municipal wastewater. The nanocatalyst-driven process achieved higher removal efficiencies for emerging pollutants than conventional treatment, offering a promising upgrade for wastewater plants struggling with micropollutant removal.

2025 Results in Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Z-Type Heterojunction MnO2@g-C3N4 Photocatalyst-Activated Peroxymonosulfate for the Removal of Tetracycline Hydrochloride in Water

Researchers developed an advanced photocatalyst that degrades nearly 97% of tetracycline, a common antibiotic pollutant, in water within 180 minutes using light-activated chemical reactions. The system showed good stability for reuse and reduced the toxicity of breakdown products. While focused on antibiotic removal rather than microplastics, this water treatment technology is relevant because microplastics often carry adsorbed antibiotics, and removing both contaminants is important for safe drinking water.

2024 Toxics 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline by La-Fe Co-Doped SrTiO3/TiO2 Composites: Performance and Mechanism Study

Researchers developed a new composite material that can break down nearly all tetracycline antibiotic pollution in water using visible light. While focused on antibiotic removal rather than microplastics, the technology is relevant because microplastics commonly carry absorbed antibiotics in water environments. Advanced treatment methods that remove antibiotics could also help address the broader problem of microplastics acting as carriers for harmful chemicals in drinking water sources.

2024 Water 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of Cytotoxicityand Photocatalytic Propertiesof Iron Vanadate Nanoparticles with Commercial Catalysts: For theDegradation of Microplastics and Bacterial Inactivation Application

This study compared the cytotoxicity and photocatalytic properties of iron vanadate nanoparticles for degrading microplastics and associated antibiotic-resistant bacteria in water, finding effective photocatalytic activity under solar light that could address both plastic contamination and antimicrobial resistance simultaneously.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Preparation of a series of highly efficient porous adsorbent PGMA- N and its application in the co-removal of Cu(II) and sulfamethoxazole from water

Researchers synthesized a series of porous polymer adsorbents and tested their ability to simultaneously remove copper ions and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole from water. Multi-contaminant removal materials address the reality that microplastic-contaminated water often contains heavy metals and pharmaceuticals as co-pollutants.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Ultrahigh-efficiency and synchronous removal of microplastics-tetracycline composite pollutants via S-scheme core-shell magnetic nanosphere

Researchers developed a novel magnetic nanosphere photocatalyst that simultaneously removes both microplastics and the antibiotic tetracycline from water with over 96% efficiency. The S-scheme core-shell design enhances photocatalytic performance and allows easy magnetic recovery and reuse of the catalyst. The study demonstrates a promising approach for tackling composite pollution scenarios where microplastics and antibiotics co-occur in aquatic environments.

2025 Environmental Pollution 6 citations
Review Tier 2

Adsorption of Different Pollutants by Using Microplastic with Different Influencing Factors and Mechanisms in Wastewater: A Review

This review examines how microplastics adsorb various pollutants including heavy metals, antibiotics, and organic contaminants in wastewater, analyzing the key factors and mechanisms that influence their adsorption capacity and environmental behavior.

2022 Nanomaterials 94 citations
Article Tier 2

Magnetic nanocomposites: innovative adsorbents for antibiotics removal from aqueous environments–a narrative review

This review examines how magnetic nanocomposite materials can be used to remove pharmaceutical pollutants from water. While not directly about microplastics, the technology is relevant because microplastics in water often carry pharmaceutical residues that conventional treatment cannot fully remove. Better water filtration methods like these could help reduce human exposure to the cocktail of pollutants that microplastics transport.

2025 Applied Water Science 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Advanced Nanotechnology in Wastewater Treatment: Investigating the Role of Nanoparticles in Pollutant Removal, Water Recovery, and Environmental Sustainability

This review examines how nanotechnology-based approaches — including nanoparticle adsorbents, nanofiltration membranes, and photocatalysts — can address persistent water pollutants including pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and heavy metals more effectively than conventional treatment methods.

2025 Scholars Journal of Engineering and Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Water Science & Technology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Porphyrin-Conjugated Hybrid Nanomaterials for Photocatalytic Wastewater Remediation

Researchers reviewed the use of porphyrin-conjugated hybrid nanomaterials for photocatalytic wastewater treatment, including the degradation of microplastics. The study found that these materials show strong visible-light absorption and enhanced electron properties that make them effective at breaking down hazardous pollutants, offering a promising approach for environmental remediation.

2026 Applied Sciences
Article Tier 2

Upcycling of waste EPS beads to immobilized codoped TiO2 photocatalysts for ciprofloxacin degradation and E. coli disinfection under sunlight

Researchers repurposed waste expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam to create photocatalytic films that break down antibiotics and kill bacteria using sunlight, achieving up to 89% antibiotic degradation and nearly complete bacterial inactivation. This approach simultaneously addresses two pollution problems — plastic waste and antibiotic contamination in water.

2023 Scientific Reports 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanotechnology-Based Approaches for the Removal of Emerging Contaminants from Water: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

This review examines nanotechnology-based approaches for removing emerging contaminants including pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, and microplastics from water, comparing the removal efficiencies of nanomaterial adsorbents, photocatalysts, and membrane systems against conventional treatment methods.

2025 Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology
Article Tier 2

Nanomaterials for microplastic remediation from aquatic environment: Why nano matters?

This review examines how nanomaterials such as photocatalysts, adsorbents, and membrane filters can be used to remove microplastics from aquatic environments, highlighting why nanoscale properties offer advantages over conventional remediation approaches.

2022 Chemosphere 113 citations
Article Tier 2

Harnessing Bio-Immobilized ZnO/CNT/Chitosan Ternary Composite Fabric for Enhanced Photodegradation of a Commercial Reactive Dye

This paper is not about microplastics; it describes the fabrication and testing of a ZnO/carbon nanotube/chitosan composite fabric as a photocatalyst for degrading textile dye (Reactive Blue 4) in wastewater, with no connection to microplastic research.

2023 Molecules 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimizing composite microplastics for antibiotics removal in water: An eco-friendly solution

Researchers investigated the adsorption of antibiotics ciprofloxacin and flucloxacillin onto PET and HDPE microplastics, characterizing the particles via FTIR, SEM, and EDX and fitting isotherm models to show that microplastics can serve as carriers of antibiotic pollutants in aquatic environments.

2025 Sustainable Environment