Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Remoção de antibióticos da água por nanofiltração

This paper is not about microplastics. It evaluates nanofiltration membrane technology for removing antibiotics (tetracycline, norfloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole) from water, achieving up to 95% removal. While water treatment technology is broadly relevant to contaminant removal, this study focuses specifically on pharmaceutical contamination rather than microplastic pollution or exposure.

2024 Revista Interdisciplinar de Ciência Aplicada
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

Investigation of the effect of microplastics on the UV inactivation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in water

Researchers found that polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics significantly reduced UV disinfection effectiveness against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, as bacteria associated with microplastic surfaces were shielded from UV exposure, creating a potential public health concern.

2022 Water Research 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Transformation products of contaminants of emerging concern in water by UV-based processes

Not a microplastics paper — this study examines how pharmaceutical and other emerging contaminants break down under UV light treatment in water, producing potentially toxic byproducts.

2023 Water Practice & Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding and characteristics of coagulation removal of composite pollution of microplastic and norfloxacin during water treatment

The coagulation removal of microplastics and the antibiotic norfloxacin together was studied in a water treatment context, finding that the presence of microplastics altered the coagulation behavior of norfloxacin and that their combined removal was less effective than treating either pollutant alone. The results highlight composite pollution as a challenge for conventional water treatment processes.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Tertiary/quaternary treatment of urban wastewater by UV/H2O2 or ozonation: Microplastics may affect removal of E. coli and contaminants of emerging concern

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics interfere with UV/hydrogen peroxide and ozonation treatments used to disinfect urban wastewater. They found that increasing microplastic concentrations reduced the effectiveness of both treatment methods at killing E. coli bacteria and degrading pharmaceutical contaminants. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in wastewater could compromise advanced treatment processes designed to protect public health.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of chlorine and UV/H2O2 on microplastics in drinking water

Using chlorine and UV/hydrogen peroxide at dosages realistic for actual drinking water treatment plants, this study assessed whether standard disinfection processes alter microplastics in tap water. The work addresses a critical public health question — whether the water treatment people rely on to make tap water safe actually removes or changes the microplastics that have been detected in treated drinking water.

2024 Environmental Science Water Research & Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation 17 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of chlorination on the tetracycline sorption behavior of microplastics in aqueous solution

Researchers found that chlorination, a common disinfection step in wastewater treatment, alters the surface chemistry of microplastics and changes their capacity to adsorb tetracycline antibiotics, with chlorinated microplastics showing modified sorption behavior that affects their role as antibiotic carriers.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on urban wastewater disinfection and impact on effluent reuse: Sunlight/H2O2 vs solar photo-Fenton at neutral pH

Researchers found that microplastics interfere with the inactivation of E. coli in urban wastewater during advanced oxidation processes (sunlight/H2O2 and solar photo-Fenton), with higher microplastic concentrations reducing bacterial inactivation efficiency and complicating effluent reuse.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Chlorine or UV/H2O2 on Microplastics Under Conditions Representative of Drinking Water Treatment

Researchers exposed low- and high-density polyethylene microplastics to chlorine and UV/H2O2 at drinking-water-relevant doses and found that surface changes and cytotoxicity increases reported in earlier studies occurred only at far higher doses than used in practice.

2024 TSpace
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on tertiary/quaternary treatment of urban wastewater: Fe-biochar/peroxymonosulfate/sunlight vs solar photo-Fenton

Researchers evaluated how microplastics present in secondary-treated urban wastewater affect the degradation of four pharmaceutical micropollutants and the inactivation of antibiotic-resistant E. coli using two advanced oxidation processes. Microplastics were found to influence the performance of both iron-modified biochar/peroxymonosulfate and solar photo-Fenton treatments.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Alteration in microbial community and antibiotic resistance genes mediated by microplastics during wastewater ultraviolet disinfection

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics altered microbial community composition and antibiotic resistance gene profiles during UV disinfection of urban wastewater, with certain microplastic concentrations enhancing the survival of specific antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 36 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microplastics and their interaction with antibiotics in wastewater

Researchers characterized microplastics in wastewater and investigated their interactions with antibiotics, examining how microplastic surfaces adsorb antibiotic compounds and the implications for antibiotic transport and dissemination in wastewater treatment systems.

2025 e_Buah
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Advances in chemical removal and degradation technologies for microplastics in the aquatic environment: A review

This review summarizes recent advances in chemical methods for breaking down microplastics in water, comparing the effectiveness of various techniques including advanced oxidation processes. Developing better ways to destroy microplastics in water is important for public health because current wastewater treatment plants cannot fully remove these persistent particles before water reaches consumers.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Norfloxacin removal efficiency by a carbon filtration column under the influence of nanoplastics: mechanistic analysis and prediction model

Researchers designed experiments to examine how nanoplastics influence norfloxacin removal efficiency in activated carbon filtration columns used in drinking water treatment, developing a mechanistic analysis and predictive model for antibiotic leakage risk when nanoplastics act as carriers in the filtration system.

2023 Water Science & Technology Water Supply 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling 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.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic insight into different adsorption of norfloxacin on microplastics in simulated natural water and real surface water

This study compared the adsorption of norfloxacin antibiotic onto microplastics in simulated natural water versus real surface water, finding that natural organic matter and competing ions in real water significantly reduced antibiotic uptake by microplastics.

2021 Environmental Pollution 81 citations