Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Deciphering the Role of Heavy Metals in Zero-Valent Iron-Driven Dechlorination of PVC Microplastics under Mild Condition

Researchers demonstrated that nanoscale zerovalent iron facilitates aging and dechlorination of PVC microplastics under mild anaerobic conditions, with heavy metals modulating efficiency — nickel and copper promoted dechlorination through electron transfer enhancement while chromium inhibited the process. The dechlorination efficiency followed a ranking of Ni > Cu > Co > Cr based on their distinct effects on active iron phase formation.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Improved Cadmium Removal Induced by Interaction of Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron and Microplastics Debris

Researchers investigated how PVC microplastics interact with nanoscale zero-valent iron used to remove cadmium from contaminated water. The presence of microplastics actually enhanced cadmium removal, likely due to adsorption on the plastic surface. These findings are relevant because PVC production uses cadmium compounds, meaning both pollutants may co-occur in real environments.

2023 Journal of Environmental Engineering 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Heavy metal remediation by nano zero-valent iron in the presence of microplastics in groundwater: Inhibition and induced promotion on aging effects

Researchers found that microplastics in groundwater significantly influenced the performance of nano zero-valent iron used for heavy metal remediation, with some microplastic types inhibiting and others promoting the aging and reactivity of the nanomaterial depending on polymer type and concentration.

2021 Environmental Pollution 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental remediation approaches by nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) based on its reductivity: a review

This review covers how nanoscale zero-valent iron particles can be used to clean up contaminated wastewater through chemical reduction of pollutants like heavy metals and organic compounds. While not directly about microplastics, these remediation technologies are relevant because they represent advanced approaches to treating the kinds of contaminated water that often also contains microplastic pollution.

2024 RSC Advances 66 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of various microplastics on PBDEs contaminated soil remediation by nZVI and sulfide-nZVI: Impedance, electron-accepting/-donating capacity and aging

PVC, PS, and PP microplastics in contaminated soil inhibited the degradation of the brominated flame retardant BDE209 by nano-zero-valent iron and sulfided nZVI to varying degrees, with inhibition linked to microplastic impedance and electron-accepting capacity, while microplastics themselves showed aging and fragmentation during the remediation process.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Distinctive adsorption and desorption behaviors of temporal and post-treatment heavy metals by iron nanoparticles in the presence of microplastics

Microplastics inhibited adsorption of most heavy metals by nano-zero-valent iron and facilitated their desorption during post-treatment, with the effect primarily affecting metals binding through surface complexation or electrostatic interaction rather than metals involved in redox reactions, providing insights for improved contaminated site remediation.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 19 citations
Review Tier 2

How Do Micro‐ and Nanoplastics (MNPs) Affect Contaminant Removal by Nano Zero‐Valent Iron (nZVI) in Water and Soil?: A Review

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics interfere with nano zero-valent iron (nZVI), a widely used material for cleaning up contaminated groundwater and soil, finding that plastic particles typically reduce nZVI's effectiveness by clogging reactive sites and causing premature aging. The finding matters because it suggests that microplastic contamination at remediation sites could undermine cleanup efforts for other pollutants like heavy metals and organic compounds, requiring modified iron formulations (such as sulfidated nZVI) to maintain performance.

2026 CLEAN - Soil Air Water
Article Tier 2

Sulfidated Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron (S-nZVI) Facilitates Remediation and Safe Crop Production in Cr(VI) and Microplastics Co-contaminated Soil

Researchers tested sulfidated nanoscale zero-valent iron as a way to clean up agricultural soil contaminated with both chromium and microplastics. The treatment effectively reduced toxic chromium levels and helped trap microplastics, making it safer to grow crops in the contaminated soil. The study offers a promising approach for addressing the growing problem of combined heavy metal and microplastic contamination in farmland.

2025 ACS ES&T Engineering 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Remediation of Micropalstic-heavy Metal Cocontaminated Soils Using Nanoscale Zero-valent Iron Supported on Palygorskite: Mechanisms and Effectiveness

Researchers developed a remediation approach for soils co-contaminated with microplastics and heavy metals using nanoscale zero-valent iron supported on palygorskite. The composite material effectively inhibited microplastic migration in soil and reduced heavy metal mobility, with the microplastic content in deeper soil layers remaining at only about 8% of initial levels after treatment.

2025 Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Driving synergistic Fe-N-Plastic co-metabolism and functional microbial symbiosis via nZVI@RA for enhanced decontamination in constructed wetlands

Researchers developed a recycled aggregate-supported nano-zero valent iron material (nZVI@RA) and demonstrated that it profoundly reshapes microbial communities in constructed wetlands to enhance synergistic iron, nitrogen, and nanoplastic co-metabolism, improving simultaneous decontamination performance.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Mini review on the application research of nanoscale zero valent iron in water treatment

This mini-review covers nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) particles as tools for environmental pollution control, capable of adsorbing and chemically reducing heavy metals and organic contaminants in water. These nanomaterials are also being explored for microplastic removal and the breakdown of plastic-associated chemical pollutants in water treatment.

2023 Proceedings of International Exchange and Innovation Conference on Engineering & Sciences (IEICES) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron (nZVI)-Based Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs): Applications, Mechanisms, and Future Prospects

This review covers how tiny iron particles called nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) can be used to break down organic pollutants in water through advanced chemical reactions. These methods show promise for cleaning up contaminated environments, including water sources affected by plastic-related and other industrial pollutants. The technology is cost-effective and environmentally friendly, though challenges remain in scaling it up.

2023 Nanomaterials 67 citations
Article Tier 2

The potential of microplastics as carriers of metals

Five types of microplastics were tested for their ability to adsorb heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) in different water matrices, finding significant adsorption of lead, chromium, and zinc—especially on polyethylene and PVC—with surface area and porosity as key drivers. The study identifies microplastics as potential vectors for heavy metal transport and transfer through aquatic food chains.

2019 Environmental Pollution 642 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

Adsorption behavior of the antibiotic levofloxacin on microplastics in the presence of different heavy metals in an aqueous solution

Researchers studied how the antibiotic levofloxacin sticks to PVC microplastics in water and how the presence of heavy metals affects this process. They found that certain metals like copper, zinc, and chromium increased the amount of antibiotic absorbed by the plastic, while cadmium and lead reduced it. The findings reveal that microplastics can act as carriers for both antibiotics and metals in polluted water, potentially creating complex contamination scenarios.

2020 Chemosphere 305 citations
Article Tier 2

Flotation separation of hazardous polyvinyl chloride towards source control of microplastics based on selective hydrophilization of plasticizer-doping surfaces

Researchers developed a flotation separation method using selective ferric ion deposition to distinguish rigid from flexible PVC plastics based on differences in surface hydrophilicity caused by plasticizer migration, enabling more effective recycling and source control of PVC-derived microplastics.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Surface wettability control and electron transport regulation in zerovalent iron for enhanced removal of emerging polystyrene microplastics-heavy metal contaminants

Researchers developed a specially engineered iron-based material that can simultaneously remove microplastics and heavy metals from wastewater by combining a water-repelling outer layer with efficient electron transfer at its core. In tests, the material removed over 99% of polystyrene microplastics and prevented the secondary release of heavy metals that often ride along on plastic particles. This addresses the concern that microplastics act as a "Trojan horse," carrying toxic metals into water supplies and living organisms.

2024 Water Research 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Photoaging mechanisms of microplastics mediated by dissolved organic matter in an iron-rich aquatic environment

Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter and iron mediate the photoaging of PVC and PET microplastics, finding that humic acid and iron accelerate surface degradation and alter the environmental behavior and risks of aged microplastics.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Insight into the interactions between microplastics and heavy metals in agricultural soil solution: adsorption performance influenced by microplastic types

Environmental-simulating microplastics (aged under environmental conditions) showed higher cadmium and chromium adsorption capacity than commercial microplastics in agricultural soil solutions, with surface oxidation increasing adsorption—suggesting that aged microplastics are more effective co-transporters of heavy metals in contaminated agricultural soils.

2025 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal and Degradation of Microplastics Using the Magnetic and Nanozyme Activities of Bare Iron Oxide Nanoaggregates

Researchers demonstrated that hydrophilic bare Fe3O4 nanoaggregates can magnetically remove five common microplastics — including HDPE, PP, PVC, PS, and PET — at just 1% of microplastic mass via hydrogen bonding, and subsequently degrade the captured plastics through the nanoaggregates' peroxidase-like nanozyme activity in a single integrated process.

2022 Angewandte Chemie 15 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

Effects of chlorination on microplastics pollution: Physicochemical transformation and chromium adsorption

Researchers found that chlorination of polyethylene and thermoplastic polyurethane microplastics significantly altered their surface morphology and oxygen-containing functional groups, enhancing their ability to aggregate and adsorb chromium contaminants in water.

2023 Environmental Pollution 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Photo-aging of polyvinyl chloride microplastic in the presence of natural organic acids

Researchers described a new photo-aging pathway for polyvinyl chloride microplastics in aquatic environments involving low-molecular-weight organic acids. The study found that natural organic acids and their iron complexes significantly accelerated the degradation of PVC microplastics under sunlight through hydroxyl radical generation, revealing how environmental conditions influence microplastic weathering.

2020 Water Research 297 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption mechanism of hexavalent chromium on electron beam-irradiated aged microplastics: Novel aging processes and environmental factors

Researchers used electron beam irradiation as a novel method to age polypropylene microplastics and then studied how these aged particles adsorb hexavalent chromium from water. They found that aging dramatically increased the microplastics' ability to bind chromium by generating oxygen-containing functional groups on their surfaces. The study highlights that weathered microplastics in the environment may have a significantly greater capacity to concentrate heavy metal pollutants than fresh plastic particles.

2024 Chemosphere 16 citations