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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Removal of drug dexamethasone from aqueous matrices using low frequency ultrasound: Kinetics, transformation products, and effect of microplastics
ClearSonolytic degradation of benzophenone-3 in water matrices: Reaction mechanism, transformation products, ecotoxicological implications & microplastic interaction
Researchers studied the sonolytic degradation of the UV filter benzophenone-3 (BP-3) in different water matrices using low-frequency ultrasound, achieving >97% removal within 120 minutes in ultrapure water. The presence of polystyrene microplastics reduced the degradation efficiency in some conditions by competing for reactive species.
A Novel Application of Ultrasound for Removal of Aqueous Microplastics
Researchers investigated bath-type ultrasonication as a novel method for removing microplastics from aqueous environments, reporting this as the first application of this technique for microplastic remediation. The ultrasound-based approach showed promise as an effective treatment strategy for addressing microplastic pollution in water systems.
Sonochemical Based Processes for Treatment of Water and Wastewater
This book chapter reviews sonochemical processes -- using ultrasound to generate reactive species -- as an emerging technology for treating organic contaminants including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and microplastics in water and wastewater.
Using Ultrasonic as a Disinfectant for Drinking Water Treatment Quality
Researchers evaluated ultrasonic treatment as a disinfection method for drinking water, testing its efficacy against bacterial pathogens and exploring its potential for degrading microplastic particles and pharmaceutical contaminants alongside its primary disinfection function.
Investigations into the Reactivity of Microplastics in Water
Researchers investigated how hydroxyl radicals — naturally occurring reactive molecules in water — chemically transform microplastics, finding that radiation-generated radicals can break plastic bonds and alter their surface properties. Understanding microplastic chemical reactivity in water is important for predicting how environmental degradation changes their biological effects.
The Use of an Ultrasonic Field in Support of Classical Methods of Oxidising Component Leached from Microplastics in Bottom Sediments
Researchers tested ultrasonic treatment combined with hydrogen peroxide and Fenton oxidation to remove a common plastic additive (DEHP) from river sediments. The combined approach was more effective than any single method alone, suggesting ultrasound can enhance contamination cleanup in polluted waterways.
Ultrasound-assisted extraction as an easy-to-perform analytical methodology for monitoring ibuprofen and its main metabolites in mussels
Researchers developed an ultrasound-assisted extraction method for quantifying ibuprofen residues in seafood, finding detectable levels of this common anti-inflammatory drug in marine organisms and demonstrating the method's suitability for routine pharmaceutical contamination monitoring.
Remediation of Pollutants using Ultrasound Induced Cavitation: “Nanostars in a Jar”
This study investigates ultrasound-induced cavitation as an advanced method for removing emerging contaminants — including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides — from wastewater that conventional treatment plants cannot fully address. The technique shows promise as a complement to existing water treatment technologies.
Occurrence and Distribution of Emerging Contaminants: Ozonolytic Removal in Aqueous Matrices
This review examines emerging contaminants (ECs) -- including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides -- across multiple environmental habitats, and assesses ozonolysis as a removal strategy for EC-contaminated aqueous matrices. The authors evaluate ozone-based treatment efficiency across contaminant classes and discuss conditions that optimize removal of both chemical pollutants and associated microplastic particles.
Removal of Ciprofloxacin from Wastewater by Ultrasound/Electric Field/Sodium Persulfate (US/E/PS)
Researchers developed an ultrasound-enhanced electro-activated persulfate system for removing the antibiotic ciprofloxacin from wastewater, achieving effective degradation through combined oxidation processes involving sulfate and hydroxyl radicals.
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.
Advanced Treatment of Laundry Wastewater by Electro-Hybrid Ozonation–Coagulation Process: Surfactant and Microplastic Removal and Mechanism
Researchers found that an electro-hybrid ozonation-coagulation process achieved over 90% removal of both surfactants and microplastics from laundry wastewater under optimized conditions, with hydroxyl radical generation identified as the key mechanism driving contaminant breakdown.
Advanced methods for treating gemfibrozil and carbamazepine in wastewater: a review
Researchers reviewed advanced methods for removing two common pharmaceutical pollutants — gemfibrozil (a cholesterol drug) and carbamazepine (an epilepsy drug) — from wastewater, finding that engineered nanomaterials capable of generating highly reactive oxygen radicals can achieve near-complete removal within minutes. These advanced oxidation approaches represent a significant improvement over conventional wastewater treatment, which struggles to break down pharmaceutical contaminants.
Effect of polystyrene microplastics on the degradation of sulfamethazine: The role of persistent free radicals
Polystyrene microplastics exposed to photoaging generated persistent free radicals on their surfaces, which then accelerated the breakdown of the antibiotic sulfamethazine in surrounding water. The study identifies a previously underappreciated chemical interaction in which aged plastic particles can transform co-occurring pharmaceutical pollutants.
Application of advanced oxidation processes for the removal of micro/nanoplastics from water: A review
This review summarizes methods for breaking down and removing microplastics and nanoplastics from water using advanced chemical processes that generate powerful cleaning agents like hydroxyl radicals. While these methods can shrink and partially degrade plastic particles, they cannot yet fully break them down, meaning some residue remains. The research is important for developing better water treatment systems that could reduce human exposure to microplastics through drinking water.
Degradation and ecotoxicity of favipiravir and oseltamivir in the presence of microplastics during ozonation and catalytic ozonation of synthetic municipal wastewater effluents
Researchers tested whether ozone-based water treatment could effectively remove antiviral drugs from wastewater, both with and without microplastics present. They found that ozonation removed up to 84% of favipiravir and 64% of oseltamivir, but the presence of microplastics reduced degradation rates by 30-40%. The study suggests that microplastics in wastewater may interfere with advanced treatment processes, making it harder to fully eliminate pharmaceutical contaminants.
Generation Mechanism of Hydroxyl Radical in Micro Nano Bubbles Water and Its Prospect in Drinking Water
Not relevant to microplastics — this review covers the generation and application of hydroxyl radicals in micro-nano bubble water systems for removing chemical pollutants and biofilms, focused on water purification chemistry rather than microplastics.
Synergistically piezocatalytic and Fenton-like activation of H2O2 by a ferroelectric Bi12(Bi0.5Fe0.5)O19.5 catalyst to boost degradation of polyethylene terephthalate microplastic (PET-MPs)
Scientists developed a new method using a special catalyst combined with ultrasound to break down PET microplastics (the type found in plastic bottles) in water, achieving nearly 29% removal in 72 hours. While focused on cleanup technology rather than health, this kind of research is important because current methods for removing microplastics from the environment are largely ineffective.
Promoting degradation of polyamide-microplastic fibers using hydroxy radical
Researchers found that hydroxyl radicals generated in water can degrade polyamide microplastic fibers shed from synthetic textiles. This approach offers a potential chemical treatment pathway for removing synthetic fiber microplastics from laundry wastewater before they reach waterways.
The effect of Ozonation on the chemical structure of microplastics
Ozone treatment of microplastics in water caused oxidative changes to polymer surfaces including carbonyl group formation and surface cracking, which altered hydrophobicity and potentially increased the capacity of treated particles to adsorb contaminants, suggesting that ozonation in water treatment may chemically transform rather than eliminate microplastic hazards.
Selected widely prescribed pharmaceuticals: toxicity of the drugs and the products of their photochemical degradation to aquatic organisms
Researchers reviewed the environmental fate of widely prescribed pharmaceuticals in surface waters, examining both the parent drugs and their photochemical degradation products. The study found that some breakdown products may be more toxic to aquatic organisms than the original drugs, highlighting how pharmaceutical pollution interacts with other contaminants including microplastics in water systems.
Rapid and Sensitive Analysis of Hormones and Other Emerging Contaminants in Groundwater Using Ultrasound-Assisted Emulsification Microextraction with Solidification of Floating Organic Droplet Followed by GC-MS Detection
Researchers developed a rapid chemical extraction method for detecting hormones and other emerging contaminants in groundwater using ultrasound-assisted microextraction. The technique enables sensitive detection of endocrine-disrupting compounds that commonly co-occur with plastic pollution in water systems.
Pharmaceutically active micropollutants: origin, hazards and removal
This review summarizes existing research on pharmaceutical pollutants -- such as antibiotics, painkillers, and hormones -- found in water systems around the world. While focused on drug contamination, the paper notes that microplastics can act as carriers for these pharmaceutical chemicals, potentially concentrating them and increasing human exposure through drinking water. Conventional water treatment methods are often unable to fully remove these micropollutants.
Microplastics Alter the Distribution and Toxic Potentialof Typical Pharmaceuticals in Aqueous Solutions: Mechanisms and TheoryCalculations
Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics interact with pharmaceuticals carrying different functional groups (naproxen, bezafibrate, norfloxacin, ibuprofen) using sorption experiments and density functional theory calculations. Sorption capacity varied by pharmaceutical type (highest for naproxen), with hydrophobic partitioning and π-π interactions as key mechanisms, altering the aquatic risk profile of each drug.