Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Polysacharide-based Materials as Support for Ideonella Sakaiensis with Applications in Wastewater Remediation

Researchers developed polysaccharide-based scaffolds loaded with Ideonella sakaiensis—a bacterium known for PET degradation—and evaluated their use as support materials in wastewater treatment to reduce microplastic accumulation, finding that immobilized bacteria retained degradation activity.

2025 E3S Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Bacterial cellulose biopolymers: The sustainable solution to water-polluting microplastics

Researchers developed bacterial cellulose (BC) biopolymer filters as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based polymer filters used in wastewater treatment plant microplastic removal. BC filters showed high MP capture efficiency and are biodegradable, addressing both microplastic pollution and the environmental costs of conventional synthetic filter maintenance.

2022 Water Research 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics removal from water body by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) extracted from microalge through surfactants pre-treatment

Researchers explored using extracellular polymeric substances extracted from microalgae — combined with surfactant pretreatment — to remove microplastics from water. The biological approach showed promise as a low-cost and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional filtration methods.

2023 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Efficient Synthesis and Wetting Characteristics of Amphiphilic Galactose–PLA Block Copolymers: A Potential Additive for the Accelerated Biodegradation of Micro‐ and Nanoplastics

Researchers synthesized degradable block copolymers containing galactose segments to help microplastic-degrading bacteria attach to plastic surfaces in wastewater. This novel approach could accelerate microbial breakdown of microplastic particles by improving bacterial adhesion to their surfaces.

2022 Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial–Enzymatic Combinatorial Approach to Capture and Release Microplastics

Researchers developed a microbial-enzymatic approach using evolved Pseudomonas aeruginosa to aggregate microplastics via biofilm formation for removal from polluted waters, then employed protease treatment to release captured plastics for downstream recovery.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology Letters 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of microplastic for a sustainable strategy by microbial biodegradation

Researchers reviewed which microorganisms — including Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and several fungi and algae species — show the greatest ability to break down microplastics, and highlighted how genetic engineering and combining multiple degradation methods could make biological plastic cleanup viable at larger scales.

2024 Sustainable Chemistry for the Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Challenges and opportunities in bioremediation of micro-nano plastics: A review.

This review examines biological approaches to removing micro- and nanoplastics from the environment, focusing on microbial degradation and bioremediation strategies. While bioremediation holds promise, challenges remain in identifying microbes capable of degrading common plastic types and scaling these processes for practical environmental cleanup.

2022 The Science of the total environment
Article Tier 2

Surface-programmed microbiome assembly in phycosphere to microplastics contamination

Researchers studied how algal-bacterial communities assemble on microplastic surfaces and their potential role in degrading these pollutants. They found that microplastics in wastewater environments develop distinct microbial communities on their surfaces, with certain bacteria showing enhanced plastic-degrading enzyme activity when associated with algae. The study suggests that engineered algal-bacterial systems could offer a sustainable biological approach to microplastic remediation.

2024 Water Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Functional groups in microalgal extracellular polymeric substances: A promising biopolymer for microplastic mitigation in marine ecosystems

Researchers characterized the sticky, sugar-like substances (extracellular polymeric substances, or EPS) produced by three types of microalgae and found these natural biopolymers could potentially bind and aggregate microplastics in marine environments, pointing toward a nature-based approach to reducing ocean plastic pollution.

2025 Ecological Engineering & Environmental Technology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Immobilized enzyme/microorganism complexes for degradation of microplastics: A review of recent advances, feasibility and future prospects

This review examined advances in immobilized enzyme and microorganism complexes for microplastic degradation, evaluating various nanomaterial supports and highlighting the feasibility and future prospects of enzymatic approaches to removing microplastics from the environment.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 115 citations
Article Tier 2

Toward sustainable plastic bioremediation using bacterial consortia from aquatic environments.

This study explored the biotechnological potential of native bacteria from diverse aquatic environments to biodegrade synthetic plastics and microplastics. Bacterial consortia isolated from contaminated sites showed promising plastic-degrading capabilities, pointing toward bioremediation strategies for plastic pollution.

2025 Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology
Article Tier 2

Silicon-infused bacterial cellulose: in situ bioprocessing for tailored strength and surface characteristics

Not relevant to microplastics — this is a materials science study on producing silicon-modified bacterial cellulose for applications requiring tailored surface characteristics and tensile strength.

2024 Cellulose 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable sponges made from chitin-cellulose nanofibers for sustainable removal of microplastics from aquatic environment

Researchers developed a biodegradable sponge made from chitin and cellulose nanofibers that can remove up to 93% of microplastics from water. The sponge maintained strong performance after four reuse cycles and naturally biodegraded in soil environments. The study presents a sustainable, eco-friendly approach to cleaning microplastic contamination from aquatic ecosystems without introducing additional persistent pollutants.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of microalgae as a sustainable alternative of biopolymers and its application in industries

Not a microplastics paper — this review examines the potential of algae-derived biopolymers (such as alginate, carrageenan, and polyhydroxyalkanoates) as biodegradable, eco-friendly replacements for petroleum-based plastics, highlighting their advantages but noting challenges for large-scale production.

2023 Plant Science Today 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Acrylamide Cross‐Linked Psyllium Polysaccharide with Improved Flocculation Performance for the Removal of Microplastics from Water

Researchers synthesized acrylamide cross-linked psyllium polysaccharide as a biodegradable flocculant and tested it for removing polystyrene, PET, and PVC microplastics from water. The material achieved effective flocculation of all three polymer types under optimized conditions, offering a sustainable alternative to synthetic polymer flocculants.

2024 ChemistrySelect 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Ultralight sponge made from sodium alginate with processability and stability for efficient removal of microplastics

Researchers developed an ultralight sponge made from sodium alginate, a natural seaweed-derived material, that can efficiently capture and remove microplastics from water. The sponge demonstrated high water absorption and strong microplastic removal capabilities while remaining stable and reusable. The study suggests this low-cost, biodegradable material could be a practical solution for filtering microplastic pollution from marine environments.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 citations
Article Tier 2

A Novel Method For Microplastic Removal From Wastewater

Researchers developed a material using PAMAM dendrimers — highly branched molecules with many attachment sites — that effectively captures and holds microplastics from contaminated water. The approach showed promise as an economical water treatment solution for removing microplastic pollution from drinking and agricultural water supplies.

2025 International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews
Article Tier 2

In situ microplastics immobilization by bacterial cellulose-producing strain, Novacetimonas hansenii PA9

Scientists grew a bacteria strain that produces nano-scale cellulose fibers and found it could completely immobilize microplastic particles within 48 hours by entangling them in a natural fiber matrix, after which the cellulose could be broken down with enzymes to recover the trapped plastic. The approach uses biodegradable materials and avoids harsh chemicals, making it a potentially eco-friendly method for removing microplastics from water. Biologically based removal strategies are gaining interest as alternatives to energy-intensive filtration for addressing microplastic contamination in water systems.

2026 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
Article Tier 2

Formation of calcium alginate hydrogel by freezing and its application for microplastic capture

Researchers developed a calcium alginate hydrogel formed by freeze-thaw processing and evaluated its application as an adsorbent for capturing microplastics from water.

2025 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Sustainable production of bacterial flocculants by nylon-6,6 microplastics hydrolysate utilizing Brucella intermedia ZL-06

Researchers isolated a bacterium, Brucella intermedia ZL-06, capable of producing a polysaccharide-based flocculant that effectively captures nylon-6,6 microplastics from water. The study then demonstrated that the recovered microplastic-flocculant mixture could be used as a sustainable carbon source for further bacterial growth, presenting a novel circular approach to both removing microplastics from sewage and recycling the captured material.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics biodegradation by biofloc-producing bacteria: An inventive biofloc technology approach

Researchers investigated biofloc-producing bacteria as a novel approach to biodegrade microplastics in aquaculture systems, finding that certain floc-forming bacterial strains can break down plastic particles while simultaneously improving water quality in culture environments.

2022 Microbiological Research 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms underlying the detrimental impact of micro(nano)plastics on the stability of aerobic granular sludge: Interactions between micro(nano)plastics and extracellular polymeric substances

Researchers found that both micro- and nanoplastics at realistic concentrations harmed the performance of aerobic granular sludge, a technology used for wastewater treatment, by reducing its ability to remove nitrogen. The plastic particles interacted with the sticky substances that hold the sludge granules together, weakening their structural integrity. The study reveals a specific mechanism by which plastic pollution can undermine wastewater treatment systems that communities rely on for clean water.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of extracellular polymeric substances in the acute inhibition of activated sludge by polystyrene nanoparticles

Researchers investigated how extracellular polymeric substances — the sticky biofilm matrix produced by bacteria — affected the acute inhibition of activated sludge by microplastics, finding that these substances played a protective role by reducing microplastic toxicity in wastewater treatment systems.

2018 Environmental Pollution 157 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochar/Clay Composite Particle Immobilized Compound Bacteria: Preparation, Collaborative Degradation Performance and Environmental Tolerance

Not a microplastics paper — this study develops a biochar-clay composite material colonized by two bacterial species to remove ammonia and petroleum hydrocarbons from contaminated surface water, finding the combined system outperforms single-bacteria approaches.

2023 Water 8 citations