Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Investigation of the Effectiveness of O2 Plasma Pretreatment for the Decomposition of (Micro)Plastics in Water

Researchers investigated whether oxygen plasma pretreatment could enhance the decomposition of microplastics in water. The study evaluated this approach as a potential solution for breaking down plastic particles that serve as carriers of contaminants in aquatic environments, contributing to the search for effective technologies to address waterborne microplastic pollution.

2025 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene (PS) Degradation Induced by Nanosecond Electric Discharge in Air in Contact with PS/Water

Researchers assessed the degradation efficiency of polystyrene microplastics by nanosecond electric discharge in air in contact with water, evaluating plasma-based treatment as an alternative to conventional water treatment methods that fail to remove plastics. The study quantified polystyrene degradation and characterized breakdown products under different discharge conditions.

2024 Plasma 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric cold plasma as a novel approach to remediating microplastics pollution in water

Scientists demonstrated for the first time that atmospheric cold plasma — an energy-efficient technology that generates highly reactive molecules — can break down polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics in water. The treatment degraded the microplastics by up to 11% in just 30 minutes through oxidation reactions. While still in early stages, this low-cost approach could eventually become a practical method for removing microplastics from drinking and wastewater.

2024 Environmental Pollution 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of low-temperature plasma for activation of plastic-degrading microorganisms

Researchers optimized low-temperature plasma discharge conditions to activate plastic-degrading microorganisms without killing them, finding specific electrical frequency and pulse width settings that boosted microbial activity. This technique could accelerate biological plastic breakdown, offering a new tool in the fight against persistent microplastic pollution.

2024 Scientific Reports 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Plasma-assisted destruction of polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers developed a plasma-based method to destroy polystyrene nanoplastics in water, achieving a 98.4% removal rate within one hour of treatment. The process breaks the nanoplastics down into very short polymer fragments, and proved more effective than traditional ozone treatment. The study presents a promising new technology for addressing nanoplastic contamination in water purification systems.

2024 Nanoscale 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics recycling via plasma-based depolymerization utilizing aqueous and gaseous discharge exposure

This proposed research program aims to investigate plasma-based depolymerization of plastic particles in liquids, examining how self-organized plasma flows transport micron-sized plastics toward discharge regions to enhance polymer breakdown.

2024
Article Tier 2

Plasma-Based Plastic Depolymerization

This paper reviews plasma-based technologies as an approach to depolymerise plastic waste, framing the problem partly around the downstream risks of microplastic formation as larger plastics fragment in the environment. While technically focused on a recycling solution, it contextualises the urgency around plastics management given unknown health effects of microplastic ingestion by humans.

2023
Article Tier 2

Degradation of microplastic in water by advanced oxidation processes

This review covers advanced methods for breaking down microplastics in water using powerful chemical reactions and light-activated catalysts that can degrade plastic particles into less harmful substances. Developing effective ways to destroy microplastics in water is critical for human health because conventional water treatment plants do not fully remove these particles from drinking water sources.

2024 Chemosphere 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Dye and Industrial Effluent Degradation to Reduce Phytotoxicity Employing Microplasma Technique

Not relevant to microplastics research; this paper studies the use of non-thermal microplasma (an electrical plasma technique, not microplastics) to break down industrial dye pollutants in wastewater.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Microwave-Induced In-Liquid Plasma for Chemical and Environmental Applications: Investigation of Wastewater Treatment Contaminated by Microplastics and Toxic Metal Ions

Researchers used a microwave-induced in-liquid plasma device to degrade microplastics and toxic metal ions in contaminated water, demonstrating that polyethylene particles were degraded under continuous circulation treatment and that the method outperformed conventional batch treatments when assessed using rhodamine-B dye as a model contaminant.

2025 Journal of Oleo Science
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of Degradation According to Microplastic Amount inside Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Korean researchers used dielectric barrier discharge plasma to degrade microplastic particles, testing how the amount of particles injected affected the efficiency of the degradation process. Plasma-based treatment methods are being explored as a way to physically break down microplastic pollution.

2023 The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
Article Tier 2

Degradation of Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment by Advanced Oxidation Process

This review examines advanced oxidation processes as a potential green solution for degrading microplastics in aquatic environments, evaluating how strong oxidants generated by these processes effectively break down recalcitrant plastic particles that resist conventional treatment.

2025
Article Tier 2

Advanced Oxidation Techniques and Hybrid Approaches for Microplastic Degradation: A Comprehensive Review

This review examines advanced oxidation processes for degrading microplastics, including photocatalysis, electrochemical oxidation, Fenton reactions, and plasma technologies, which generate reactive species capable of breaking down polymer chains. Hybrid systems combining these oxidation methods with biological treatments or membrane filtration showed particular promise for scalable microplastic remediation. The authors identify challenges around energy consumption, secondary pollutant formation, and the need for optimization before these technologies can be integrated into existing wastewater treatment infrastructure.

2026 Catalysts
Article Tier 2

Degradation of polyethylene microplastics using high-repetition-rate pulsed dielectric barrier discharge plasma in air under mild conditions

Researchers developed a method for degrading polyethylene microplastics using high-repetition-rate pulsed dielectric barrier discharge plasma in air, achieving complete degradation of 0.1 g of PE microplastics within 3 hours at 15 kV and 20 kHz without catalysts or additional carrier gases.

2025 Journal of Physics D Applied Physics
Article Tier 2

Environmental aspects of restoring the environment: nanotechnology for removing micro and nanoplastics from water

Researchers developed a plasma chemical water purification method that combines modified humic substances with high-voltage electrical discharge to aggregate and magnetically remove micro- and nanoplastics from contaminated water. Tested on wastewater from a printing facility, the method outperformed conventional sorption or plasma treatment alone and showed promise for simultaneously removing plastics, heavy metals, and organic pollutants. This offers a potentially scalable technology for treating industrial wastewater sources that are currently releasing nanoplastics to the environment.

2023 Environment & Health
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

Efficacy of electrolytic treatment on degrading microplastics in tap water

Researchers investigated whether electrolysis could degrade microplastics in tap water, finding that 30 minutes of electrolytic treatment produced measurable reductions in microplastic concentrations, suggesting this approach may have potential as a water treatment strategy.

2023 Journal of Emerging Investigators
Article Tier 2

Reactivity of four model microplastics with ozone.

Researchers investigated the reactivity of four model microplastic types with ozone, examining how ozone treatment affects the physicochemical properties of microplastics as a potential water treatment strategy for degrading plastic particles.

2025 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Electrochemical degradation of nanoplastics in water: Analysis of the role of reactive oxygen species

Researchers investigated electrochemical methods for degrading nanoplastics in water and analyzed the role of different reactive oxygen species in the process. They found that the electro-peroxidation process was about 2.6 times more effective than standard electrooxidation, achieving up to 86.8% nanoplastic degradation under optimized conditions. The study presents a promising advanced treatment approach for addressing nanoplastic contamination in water.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 75 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Heterogeneous photocatalysis as an efficient process for degrading MPs/NPs in aqueous media: A systematic review

This systematic review summarizes research on using light-activated chemical processes to break down microplastics and nanoplastics in water. The findings suggest that photocatalysis is a promising approach for removing these tiny plastic particles from drinking water and wastewater, which could help reduce human exposure to microplastic contamination.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic and biological technologies for elimination of microplastics in water: Current status

This review examines emerging photocatalytic and biological technologies for breaking down microplastics in water, since conventional treatment facilities can capture but not fully destroy these particles. Researchers found that while photocatalysis and microbial degradation show promise, their effectiveness varies widely and the underlying mechanisms are only partly understood. The study highlights the urgent need for more efficient solutions to eliminate rather than simply filter out microplastic pollution from water supplies.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 137 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Microplastics Removal from Water with Special Attention Given to Photocatalytic Degradation: Review of Scientific Research

This review examines methods for removing microplastics from water, with a focus on photocatalytic degradation, which uses light-activated materials to break down plastic particles. These advanced processes generate reactive molecules that can fragment microplastics into harmless byproducts. While promising, the technology still needs optimization and more research into potential harmful byproducts before it can be widely deployed.

2023 Microplastics 87 citations
Article Tier 2

Non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma for the degradation of microplastics suspended in water: Evidence from CO2 quantification and spectroscopic analysis

Researchers investigated non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma as a direct treatment for mineralising microplastics suspended in water, using CO2 quantification and spectroscopic analysis to confirm degradation of plastic particles that resist conventional remediation.

2025 Chemical Engineering Journal
Article Tier 2

Treatment of microplastics in water by anodic oxidation: A case study for polystyrene

Anodic oxidation (electrooxidation) was tested as a method for degrading polystyrene microplastics suspended in water. The electrochemical treatment showed progressive microplastic degradation, demonstrating potential for electrooxidation as a water treatment approach targeting suspended plastic particles.

2020 Environmental Pollution 190 citations