Papers

61,005 results
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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

Polyoxometalate nanocluster-infused triple IPN hydrogels for excellent microplastic removal from contaminated water: detection, photodegradation, and upcycling

Researchers developed a specialized hydrogel infused with copper-based nanoclusters to remove microplastics from contaminated water. The study found that the hydrogel could both adsorb and photodegrade microplastic particles under various conditions simulating real-world water environments. This scalable approach suggests a promising new strategy for tackling microplastic pollution in water bodies.

2024 Nanoscale 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior of Cu(II) and Cr(VI) on aged microplastics in antibiotics-heavy metals coexisting system

Researchers investigated how antibiotics affect the adsorption of copper and chromium onto aged polystyrene and PVC microplastics, finding that antibiotic co-contamination alters heavy metal binding behavior on weathered plastics in aqueous environments.

2021 Chemosphere 169 citations
Article Tier 2

The fate and risk of microplastic and antibiotic sulfamethoxazole coexisting in the environment

Researchers investigated sulfamethoxazole antibiotic adsorption onto polyamide microplastics and found that pH significantly influenced uptake, with adsorbed antibiotics more readily released in natural water than ultrapure water, posing environmental risks.

2022 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) extraction technique for assessing metal interactions with organic pollutants and microplastics in aquatic systems

Researchers developed a polymer inclusion membrane technique to measure how metal ions interact with antibiotics and microplastics in aquatic environments. They found potential interactions between copper, zinc, and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole at higher concentrations, while PVC microplastics showed some capacity to bind metal ions. The method offers a practical new tool for assessing how microplastics and other pollutants influence the bioavailability of toxic metals in water.

2025 Advances in Sample Preparation 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesis of Amorphous MnFe@SBA Composites for Efficient Adsorptive Removal of Pb(Ⅱ) and Sb(V) from Aqueous Solution

Researchers synthesized a new composite material by growing manganese-iron oxide on a porous silica support for removing lead and antimony from contaminated water. The material removed over 99 percent of lead and 80 percent of antimony within two hours and performed well even in the presence of other dissolved ions. While not directly related to microplastics, the study contributes to water purification technology that could complement plastic pollution cleanup efforts.

2025 Molecules 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of polyethylene and polyurethane microplastics and their adsorption behavior on Cu2+ and Fe3+ in environmental matrices

Researchers characterized polyethylene and polyurethane microplastics and measured their ability to adsorb heavy metals, finding that both types can bind copper and iron ions from water — raising concern that microplastics may act as carriers that transport toxic metals deeper into aquatic ecosystems and food chains.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe 14 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

[Characteristics of Microplastic-derived Dissolved Organic Matter(MPDOM) and the Complexation Between MPDOM and Sulfadiazine/Cu2].

This study examined dissolved organic matter released from aging PET and polystyrene microplastics and found that it can bind to both sulfadiazine (an antibiotic) and copper ions, potentially altering how these contaminants move through the environment. Aging microplastics release chemical compounds that interact with other pollutants, complicating the environmental behavior of both plastic and non-plastic contaminants in water and soil.

2023 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Removal of sulfamethoxazole using Fe-Mn biochar filtration columns: Influence of co-existing polystyrene microplastics

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics affect the removal of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole using iron-manganese modified biochar filtration columns. They found that the presence of microplastics significantly reduced antibiotic retention due to competitive sorption, with the effect varying depending on water pH. The study highlights that co-occurring microplastics in wastewater can interfere with contaminant removal systems, potentially allowing more antibiotics to pass through treatment processes.

2024 Journal of Cleaner Production 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecofriendly sustainable synthetized nano-composite for removal of heavy metals from aquatic environment

An eco-friendly nano-composite was synthesized and tested for removing heavy metals from aquatic environments, achieving high removal efficiencies for multiple metals through adsorption. The material was developed using sustainable synthesis methods and biomass-derived components, offering a greener alternative to conventional adsorbents for water treatment.

2022 Applied Nanoscience 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of MAF-32 and a One-Pot Synthesized Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide/MAF-32 Composite for the Adsorption of Diclofenac

This paper is not about microplastics. It describes the development of a magnetic composite material for removing the pharmaceutical pollutant diclofenac from water. While pharmaceutical water contamination is a public health concern, this study focuses on materials science and drug removal technology rather than microplastic pollution or its health effects.

2024 Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Mikroplastika Kao Adsorbens Opasnih Materija

This paper reviews how microplastics act as effective adsorbents for toxic substances including persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and pharmaceuticals in freshwater, marine, and urban environments. The ability of microplastics to concentrate and transport hazardous chemicals amplifies their potential harm to ecosystems and human health.

2021 Zbornik radova Građevinskog fakulteta
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the Co-Adsorption Mechanisms of Sulfonamide Antibiotics and Cu 2+ on Microplastics in Aquatic Environments: Joint Effects and Molecular-Level Insights from Experiments and DFT Calculation

Researchers investigated the co-adsorption behavior of ten sulfonamide antibiotics and copper ions (Cu2+) on polyamide microplastics in aquatic environments, finding synergistic effects for sulfonamides and antagonistic effects for Cu2+ adsorption. Molecular-level DFT calculations revealed the mechanisms underlying these interactions, with implications for the combined transport of antibiotics and heavy metals in microplastic-contaminated water.

2025 ACS ES&T Water
Article Tier 2

Performance and Mechanism of Sulfathiazole Adsorption by Magnetic Biochar: Promoting Effect of Co-existing Polystyrene and Simultaneous Removal

Researchers synthesized a magnetic biochar and tested its ability to remove the antibiotic sulfathiazole from water containing polystyrene microplastics, finding that the biochar achieved efficient removal of both contaminants simultaneously, with the microplastics actually promoting antibiotic adsorption.

2025
Article Tier 2

Effects of heavy metals on the adsorption of ciprofloxacin on polyethylene microplastics: Mechanism and toxicity evaluation

Researchers studied how heavy metals in water affect the ability of polyethylene microplastics to absorb the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. They found that heavy metals competed with the antibiotic for binding sites on the microplastic surface, changing how much of each pollutant the plastic could carry. This is important because it shows microplastics in real-world environments may transport different combinations of pollutants, potentially delivering both antibiotics and heavy metals into the food chain.

2023 Chemosphere 83 citations
Article Tier 2

An Overview and Evaluation of Highly Porous Adsorbent Materials for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Phenols Removal from Wastewater

This review evaluated highly porous adsorbent materials — including activated carbons, metal-organic frameworks, and zeolites — for removing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phenolic compounds from wastewater. These priority pollutants co-occur with microplastics in contaminated water bodies, and porous adsorbents show high removal efficiency across multiple compound classes.

2020 Water 133 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

Evaluation of microplastic contamination by metals in a controlled environment: A risk to be considered

Researchers found that polyethylene terephthalate microplastics readily adsorb nickel, copper, and zinc metals in aquatic environments, demonstrating that degraded plastics can act as carriers for metal contaminants and pose compounded environmental risks.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced adsorption performance of sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline in aqueous solutions by MgFe2O4-magnetic biochar

Researchers developed MgFe2O4-magnetic biochar adsorbents from corncob that simultaneously removed two common antibiotics — sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline — from water, offering an efficient and separable solution for antibiotic pollution remediation.

2022 Water Science & Technology 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient and Selective Removal of Heavy Metals and Dyes from Aqueous Solutions Using Guipi Residue-Based Hydrogel

Researchers created a hydrogel material from Chinese herbal medicine residue and chitosan that can effectively remove lead, cadmium, and toxic dyes from polluted water. The material maintained its cleaning ability through at least five reuse cycles. While not focused on microplastics, this type of water treatment technology could be part of broader solutions for removing multiple contaminants, including microplastics, from drinking water sources.

2024 Gels 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorptive–Photocatalytic Performance for Antibiotic and Personal Care Product Using Cu0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4

This paper is not about microplastics — it develops a photocatalytic nanomaterial for removing antibiotics and parabens from wastewater.

2023 Antibiotics 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoarchitectonics of molybdenum rich crown shaped polyoxometalates based ionic liquids reinforced on magnetic nanoparticles for the removal of microplastics and heavy metals from water

This study developed mesoporous composite adsorbents consisting of polyoxometalate-based ionic liquids on magnetic silica-coated nanoparticles for simultaneous removal of heavy metals and microplastics from water. The composites achieved high removal efficiency for both contaminant classes and could be magnetically separated for reuse, offering a dual-function water treatment material.

2024 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling Complexation and Contaminant Vector Potential in Aged Polyamide-Heavy Metal Interactions

Researchers found that heat-aged polyamide microplastics exhibit enhanced adsorption capacity for cadmium and copper compared to virgin material, with copper showing higher adsorption efficiency due to its smaller hydrated ionic radius and strong coordination with oxygen- and nitrogen-containing surface groups on the aged polymer.

2025 ACS Omega