Papers

61,005 results
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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

Filtration Methods for Microplastic Removal in Wastewater Streams — A Review

This review surveys filtration, membrane, coagulation, and biological methods for removing microplastics from wastewater, concluding that membrane bioreactors and dynamic membranes are among the most effective current technologies. The paper provides a useful comparative overview for engineers and policymakers seeking cost-effective solutions to prevent microplastics from passing through treatment plants into waterways.

2023 International Journal of High Speed Electronics and Systems 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of microplastics from wastewater: available techniques and way forward

This review surveys the available techniques for removing microplastics from wastewater, including filtration, coagulation, biological treatment, and advanced methods like membrane bioreactors. Researchers found that while conventional treatment plants can remove a substantial fraction of microplastics, significant amounts still pass through to the environment. The study emphasizes the need for upgrading wastewater treatment systems to better capture these emerging contaminants.

2021 Water Science & Technology 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Membrane Processes for Microplastic Removal

This review evaluates the use of membrane technologies for removing microplastics and nanoplastics from wastewater treatment plant effluents. Researchers found that while membrane bioreactors show promise, most existing membrane approaches are still insufficient for comprehensive microplastic removal, especially for the smallest particles. The study suggests that specially designed membrane systems are needed as advanced tertiary treatment to prevent microplastic discharge into waterways.

2019 Molecules 316 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

Treatment processes for microplastics and nanoplastics in waters: State-of-the-art review

This review summarized established and emerging treatment processes for removing microplastics and nanoplastics from drinking water and wastewater, evaluating coagulation, membrane filtration, advanced oxidation, and biological treatment in terms of removal efficiency and operational feasibility.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 102 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

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

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
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

Recent approaches and advanced wastewater treatment technologies for mitigating emerging microplastics contamination – A critical review

This review critically assessed advanced wastewater treatment technologies for removing microplastics, noting that conventional treatment plants act as both barriers and point sources for microplastic release into the environment. The study suggests that advanced treatment approaches such as membrane filtration and advanced oxidation processes show promise for improving microplastic removal efficiency from wastewater.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 243 citations
Article Tier 2

What have we known so far about microplastics in drinking water treatment? A timely review

This review summarizes research on microplastic occurrence and removal in drinking water treatment, covering both laboratory and full-scale studies through August 2021. Researchers found that conventional treatment processes like coagulation-flocculation, membrane filtration, and sand filtration are generally effective at reducing microplastics in water, though results vary widely depending on conditions. The study identifies key factors influencing removal efficiency and highlights the need for further research on nanoplastics in drinking water.

2021 Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics removal mechanisms in wastewater treatment plants: A review

This review examines how conventional wastewater treatment plants remove micro- and nanoplastics, and evaluates advanced technologies like membrane filtration and electrocoagulation that could improve removal rates. While existing treatment plants can capture most microplastics, they still release significant quantities into waterways through their enormous discharge volumes. The study highlights that biological treatment steps may also transform microplastics in potentially harmful ways that need further investigation.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanotechnology-based approaches for the removal of microplastics from wastewater: a comprehensive review

This review summarizes how nanotechnology-based approaches could help remove microplastics from wastewater, since conventional treatment plants are not very effective at capturing the smallest particles. Materials like metal-organic frameworks, carbon nanomaterials, and advanced membranes show promise in lab settings for filtering out microplastics. However, scaling these technologies for real-world use and ensuring the nanomaterials themselves are safe remain major challenges.

2025 Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology 8 citations
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

Removal of nanoplastics in water treatment processes: A review

This review examines technologies for removing nanoplastics from water, noting that conventional treatment processes effective for larger plastics often fail to capture these tiny particles. Researchers evaluated emerging methods including microbial degradation, membrane filtration, and photocatalysis, finding that combined approaches offer the best removal rates. The study highlights that more research is needed to develop practical, large-scale solutions for nanoplastic contamination in drinking water and wastewater.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 146 citations
Article Tier 2

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

This review covers advances in filtration technologies and membrane innovations for removing microplastics from the environment, examining the performance, limitations, and scalability of approaches including membrane filtration, coagulation, and combined treatment processes.

2025 Preprints.org
Article Tier 2

Novel Materials for the Removal of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Drinking Water Treatment: A Comprehensive Review

This review systematically assessed novel materials—including metal-organic frameworks, bio-based adsorbents, and advanced membranes—for removing microplastics and nanoplastics from drinking water. The authors found that conventional treatment removes as little as 48.4% of particles and that emerging nanomaterial-based approaches can achieve higher efficiencies, though scalability and cost remain barriers.

2025 Water Environment Research
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic Removal Techniques in Domestic and Municipal Wastewater: A Systematic Review

This systematic review summarizes existing research on different methods for removing microplastics from household and city wastewater. The study found that while conventional treatment plants can remove many microplastics, advanced techniques like membrane filtration and electrocoagulation are needed to catch the smallest particles. This matters because wastewater is one of the main pathways through which microplastics enter rivers, lakes, and eventually our drinking water.

2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT) 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Treatment technologies for the removal of micro plastics from aqueous medium

Researchers reviewed treatment technologies for removing microplastics from water, finding that while multiple methods including filtration, membrane processes, and coagulation show promise, their effectiveness depends on microplastic size, type, and concentration.

2022 AIP conference proceedings 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Eradication of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment: Overview

This review examined technologies for removing microplastics from wastewater, evaluating physical, chemical, and biological treatment methods and finding that while conventional treatment plants capture a significant fraction, emerging technologies like membrane filtration and coagulation are needed to achieve more complete removal.

2022 Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry 21 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

A comprehensive review of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants

This review surveys microplastic removal technologies used in wastewater treatment plants, comparing membrane bioreactors, electrocoagulation, coagulation-sedimentation, and biodegradation approaches. Understanding removal efficiency at treatment plants is critical because they are a primary pathway by which microplastics — and the toxic chemicals they carry — reach rivers, coastal waters, and ultimately drinking water supplies.

2024 BIO Web of Conferences 2 citations
Review Tier 2

Removal of microplastics and nanoplastics in water treatment processes: A systematic literature review

Researchers systematically reviewed 103 studies across 26 water treatment plants in 12 countries to assess how well various technologies remove microplastics and nanoplastics from drinking water, finding that while coagulation, filtration, and advanced treatments help, significant gaps remain. The review identifies that no single process achieves complete removal, leaving microplastics as a persistent contaminant in treated water supplies.

2024 Journal of Water Process Engineering 34 citations