Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Quantitative analysis of polystyrene microplastic and styrene monomer released from plastic food containers

Researchers analyzed how polystyrene food containers release microplastics and styrene monomers under everyday conditions like heating and UV exposure. They found that containers released significant amounts of both microplastic particles and chemical compounds that could enter food. The study raises concerns about human exposure to microplastics through common disposable food packaging.

2023 Heliyon 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Convenient determination of polystyrene microplastics in soils by gel permeation chromatography-ultraviolet detection analysis

Researchers developed a practical method for detecting polystyrene microplastics in soil using gel permeation chromatography with ultraviolet detection after a simple acid-assisted extraction. The method achieved good recovery rates and low detection limits, making it accessible for routine soil monitoring without requiring expensive instrumentation. The study offers a convenient analytical tool for tracking polystyrene microplastic contamination in agricultural and environmental soils.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Portable detection system for polystyrene nanoplastics: Advancing public health safety

Researchers developed a portable, UV-based detection system for polystyrene nanoplastics that uses multiple optical components and real-time data analysis via an embedded microcontroller. The system demonstrated the feasibility of field-deployable nanoplastic monitoring, addressing a gap left by traditional laboratory-bound methods.

2025
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Surface Alteration of Microplastics by Using UV Irradiation

UV radiation causes polystyrene and other plastic microparticles to undergo photooxidative degradation, changing their surface chemistry and potentially making them more likely to adsorb or release chemical pollutants. Understanding these weathering processes is important for predicting the environmental behavior and toxicity of microplastics.

2020 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification analysis of microplastics released from disposable polystyrene tableware with fluorescent polymer staining

Researchers developed a fluorescent polymer staining method to quantify microplastics released from disposable polystyrene tableware, finding that hot water temperature and contact time significantly increased microplastic release into food.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Refractive Index of Benchmark Polystyrene Nanoplastics by Optical Modeling of UV–Vis Spectra

The refractive index of benchmark polystyrene nanoplastics was precisely measured using optical methods, providing a fundamental physical parameter needed for accurate optical detection and sizing of nanoplastics. Reliable optical constants for nanoplastics improve the accuracy of light-scattering-based detection instruments.

2025 Analytical Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying the Dynamics of Polystyrene Microplastics UV-Aging Process

Researchers used a specialized mass spectrometry technique to track how polystyrene microplastics break down under UV light, quantifying changes in both particle size and number over time. They found that UV aging rapidly shrank particles from 5 micrometers down to 1 micrometer while tripling the total particle count, generating large numbers of smaller fragments. Toxicity tests on water fleas showed that fresh microplastics caused immediate harm to feeding and growth, while aged fragments produced longer-term reproductive effects.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology Letters 118 citations
Article Tier 2

RefractiveIndex of Benchmark Polystyrene Nanoplasticsby Optical Modeling of UV–Vis Spectra

Researchers measured UV-visible spectra of polystyrene nanobeads deposited on sapphire substrates and applied a new optical model based on Mie theory to determine the refractive index of polystyrene nanoplastics below 1 micrometre, bridging a critical gap in the optical characterisation of nanoplastic particles.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

New insights into the photo-degraded polystyrene microplastic: Effect on the release of volatile organic compounds

Researchers investigated how ultraviolet light breaks down polystyrene microplastics and what volatile organic compounds are released during the process. They found that while the physical properties of the microplastics changed only slightly during UV exposure, the particles released a variety of potentially harmful volatile chemicals. The study provides new insights into the secondary pollution risks posed by microplastics as they degrade in the environment.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 96 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Polarization transmission characteristics of polystyrene microplastics in aqueous environments

This study investigated how polarized light interacts with polystyrene microplastic particles suspended in water. While primarily a detection methods paper, it advances techniques for identifying microplastics in water and biological fluids like blood and urine, which is essential for accurately measuring human exposure levels.

2025 Optical Engineering
Article Tier 2

A rapid method to quantify sub-micrometer polystyrene particles in aqueous model systems by TOC analysis

Researchers developed a fast and inexpensive method to measure the concentration of tiny polystyrene microplastic particles (0.5–6 microns) in water using a standard carbon analyzer, finding that adding metal hydroxides to samples significantly improved detection accuracy. The technique offers labs a practical alternative to expensive equipment for quantifying microplastics in controlled experiments.

2024 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Thermal fragmentation enhanced identification and quantification of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics in complex media

Researchers developed a method using thermal fragmentation combined with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to identify and quantify polystyrene micro/nanoplastics in complex media, enabling reliable fingerprint-based detection and quantification down to nanoplastic size ranges.

2019 Talanta 119 citations
Article Tier 2

Correlation of refractive index to morphology for polystyrene nanospheres by optical modelling of UV-VIS spectra

Researchers developed an optical modelling approach using UV-VIS spectroscopy to determine the complex refractive index (RI) of polystyrene nanospheres and correlate it to particle morphology. The study bridged two key gaps in RI-morphology characterization: sizes below 1 micrometer and wavelengths below 400 nm, providing reference data critical for monitoring nanoplastics in environmental samples.

2025
Article Tier 2

Separate determination of polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics in water by membrane filtration and gel permeation chromatography-ultraviolet detection analysis

Researchers developed a practical laboratory method to separately measure polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics in water samples using membrane filtration and a specialized chromatography technique. The method was validated in both environmental water and tap water, confirming the presence of nanoplastics through multiple analytical approaches. This represents an important step forward in the ability to accurately distinguish between different sizes of plastic pollution in drinking and environmental water.

2025 Talanta 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of a method for the detection of polystyrene microplastics in paraffin-embedded histological sections

Researchers developed a method for detecting polystyrene microplastics in paraffin-embedded tissue samples, addressing a key constraint in assessing microplastic exposure in marine animals used in laboratory toxicity bioassays.

2017 Histochemistry and Cell Biology 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of polyurethanes within microplastics in complex environmental samples by analytical pyrolysis

Researchers developed analytical pyrolysis methods to detect and quantify polyurethane microplastics in complex environmental samples, addressing a gap in microplastic monitoring given the highly variable chemical structure of polyurethanes which makes their identification especially challenging.

2023 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular characteristics and plastic additives in dissolved organic matter derived from polystyrene microplastics: Effects of cumulative irradiation and microplastic concentrations

This study investigated how ultraviolet light breaks down polystyrene microplastics and releases dissolved organic matter, including plastic additives, into the surrounding water. Greater UV exposure produced more complex chemical mixtures with higher levels of potentially toxic compounds. The findings are important because sunlight-driven breakdown of microplastics in the environment may release harmful chemicals into water sources that people use for drinking and recreation.

2025 Water Research 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics release from victuals packaging materials during daily usage

Researchers investigated microplastic release from food packaging materials during daily usage, with a focus on polystyrene foam containers. The study found that these containers release microplastic particles during routine handling, heating, and food contact, suggesting that food packaging is a significant and direct source of human microplastic exposure.

2021 EcoMat 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Single-Particle Analysis of the Photodegradation of Submicron Polystyrene Particles Using Infrared Photothermal Heterodyne Imaging.

Researchers used a new infrared imaging technique to observe how submicron polystyrene particles physically and chemically degrade under UV light, finding significant chemical changes within just 6 hours. This is one of the first methods capable of tracking photodegradation of very small plastic particles, improving our understanding of how nanoplastics form and age in the environment.

2024 Environmental science & technology
Article Tier 2

A colorimetric detection of polystyrene nanoplastics with gold nanoparticles in the aqueous phase

Researchers developed a colorimetric detection method using gold nanoparticles to identify polystyrene nanoplastics in water, providing a simpler and more sensitive alternative to traditional spectroscopy methods for detecting nanoplastics that are too small for conventional microplastic analysis.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations