Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Fluorescence Microscopy and FTIR-Based Analysis of Microplastics in Facial Personal Care Products

Researchers analyzed twenty facial care products, including scrubs and face washes, for the presence of microplastics using fluorescence microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. All samples tested positive for microplastics, with polystyrene and polyurethane identified as the most common polymers in scrubs, and ethylene-propylene copolymer and polystyrene predominant in face washes. The findings highlight the widespread presence of microplastic particles in everyday personal care products and the need for stronger regulatory measures.

2026 Journal of Fluorescence
Article Tier 2

Physical-chemical characterization of microplastics present in some exfoliating products from Spain

Researchers physically and chemically characterised microplastics from ten personal care exfoliating products marketed in Spain, finding polyethylene microspheres in concentrations between 6-7% of total product weight in some cases. Smaller particles generally appeared at higher concentrations, highlighting these products as a direct source of microplastic pollution entering waterways.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbeads in Commercial Facial Cleansers: Threatening the Environment

Researchers extracted and analyzed microbeads from four commercial facial cleansers, finding concentrations high enough to raise concerns about environmental release through wastewater. The study adds to the evidence that personal care products are a significant and preventable source of primary microplastics entering aquatic ecosystems.

2017 CLEAN - Soil Air Water 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics detection in some cosmetic samples by accelerated solvent extraction and Micro-FTIR

Researchers developed an analytical method using accelerated solvent extraction and micro-FTIR to detect microplastic beads and fragments in cosmetic products such as creams. The method was designed for a detection threshold of 0.025% by weight and achieved reliable recovery rates using both gravimetric and spectroscopic analysis. The study addresses the growing regulatory need for standardized methods to identify both intentionally added and unintentionally released microplastics in consumer products.

2024 Talanta 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Reducing microplastics from facial exfoliating cleansers in wastewater through treatment versus consumer product decisions

Researchers characterized the microbeads found in commercial facial exfoliating cleansers — measuring size, polymer type, and quantity — and estimated how many microbeads escape treatment at wastewater plants based on published removal data. The study provides a practical case for banning microbeads from personal care products to reduce plastic loading in freshwater systems.

2015 Marine Pollution Bulletin 257 citations
Article Tier 2

A novel simplified method for extraction of microplastic particles from face scrub and laundry wastewater

Researchers developed a simplified extraction method for collecting microplastics from face scrubs and laundry wastewater, achieving about 94% recovery efficiency while being faster and less resource-intensive than existing approaches. Applied to 12 commercial face scrubs, the method confirmed the presence of microplastic beads and microfibers in personal care product wastewater.

2023 Scientific Reports 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastic release from facial and body scrubs in aquatic ecosystems

Researchers analyzed six popular face and body scrub products and found an average of nearly 300 microplastic particles per gram, predominantly made of polyethylene in irregular shapes, estimating that significant quantities of these particles are released into waterways through wastewater treatment systems with each use.

2025 Applied Water Science 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbeads in personal care products sold in Pakistan: extraction, quantification, characterization, and buoyancy analysis

Analysis of twelve personal care products sold in Pakistan — including face washes and scrubs — found plastic microbeads in all of them, ranging from ethylene-vinyl acetate to polyethylene and PET, with most particles sinking in water and therefore likely to settle in aquatic sediments after rinsing. This study underscores the need for stronger regulation of microbead-containing cosmetics in markets where bans have not yet been introduced.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

A Comparison of Different Approaches for Characterizing Microplastics in Selected Personal Care Products

Researchers compared particle size analysis, light microscopy, and imaging flow cytometry combined with micro-FTIR spectroscopy for characterizing microplastics in personal care products, finding that methodology choice significantly affects quantification results and highlighting the need for standardized approaches.

2021 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on primary microplastics in cosmetics: their isolation, spectral and thermal analysis

Researchers analyzed eight personal care and cosmetic products to isolate and characterize intentionally added microplastics. They found that the standard combination of FTIR and Raman spectroscopy was not always sufficient for accurate detection, and that thermal analysis via DSC proved particularly useful for identifying microplastics when spectroscopic methods fell short.

2025 Analytical Methods 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Personal Care and Cosmetic Products as a Potential Source of Environmental Contamination by Microplastics in a Densely Populated Asian City

Researchers surveyed personal care and cosmetic products sold in a densely populated Asian city for microbeads and other microplastic ingredients, documenting the extent of microbead-containing products still on the market and estimating their potential contribution to municipal wastewater microplastic loads.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 186 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

This review examines the presence of microplastics, commonly known as microbeads, in cosmetics and personal care products and their pathway into aquatic environments through wastewater discharge. Researchers assessed how these tiny particles interact with marine species and other pollutants once they enter water bodies. The study underscores that despite the existence of wastewater treatment plants, microbeads from personal care products remain a persistent source of aquatic plastic pollution.

2024 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics monitoring in different environments: separation, physicochemical characterization, and quantification

Researchers systematically monitored microplastic contamination across multiple environments including a wastewater treatment plant, surrounding water bodies, and soils near plastic factories, characterizing shape, size, color, and polymer composition via microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. They found fragments and fibers to be the most common microplastic shapes in water environments and documented simultaneous contamination across all sampled matrices.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Microplastiche: classificazione, identificazione e rimozione all'interno degli impianti di trattamento delle acque reflue

This Italian-language paper reviews how microplastics are classified, identified using techniques like FTIR spectroscopy, and removed in wastewater treatment plants. Conventional treatment plants remove a substantial portion of microplastics but still allow many particles to pass through into the environment. The review calls for better treatment technologies and standardized methods to assess microplastic removal efficiency.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: Applications in the Cosmetic Industry and Impacts on the Aquatic Environment

This review examines how microplastics are used in cosmetics as microbeads in products like exfoliating cleansers, and how these particles enter waterways through drain disposal and harm aquatic life. The authors summarize the main problems caused by cosmetic microplastics and discuss regulatory efforts to phase them out.

2022 Figshare 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis and Characterization of Microplastic from Personal Care Products and Surface Water in Bangi, Selangor

This study detected and characterized microplastics from personal care products and surface water samples in Selangor, Malaysia, finding that microbeads from cosmetics were present in waterways. Microbeads are a direct primary microplastic source that is released with every use and passes through most water treatment systems untreated.

2020 Sains Malaysiana 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in different water samples (seawater, freshwater, and wastewater): Methodology approach for characterization using micro-FTIR spectroscopy

Researchers developed a standardized methodology for detecting and characterizing small microplastics (10-500 micrometers) in different water types using micro-FTIR spectroscopy. The study tested various sample preparation approaches for seawater, freshwater, and wastewater, establishing reliable protocols for rinsing, digestion, and microplastic collection that can be used to assess treatment plant removal efficiency.

2023 Water Research 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating Microplastic Presence in Eye Drops Using Micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

Using micro-FTIR spectroscopy, researchers detected microplastic particles ≥20 μm in commercial eye drops, finding evidence of plastic contamination in ophthalmic products and recommending further investigation into packaging sources.

2025 Cornea 3 citations
Article Tier 2

A novel method for purification, quantitative analysis and characterization of microplastic fibers using Micro-FTIR

Researchers developed an improved method for purifying, quantifying, and characterizing microplastic fibers using micro-FTIR spectroscopy, addressing the challenge that fibers are harder to process and identify than other microplastic shapes. The method improvements enable more accurate characterization of this common but technically challenging category of environmental microplastics.

2019 Chemosphere 191 citations
Article Tier 2

Probenaufbereitung für die Analyse auf Mikroplastik mit µFTIR-Spektroskopie: Untersuchung des enzymatischen Verdaus von Plankton mit FlowCam und µFTIR

This German-language study tested sample preparation methods for microplastic analysis using micro-FTIR spectroscopy, comparing different approaches for extracting particles from complex environmental matrices. Optimizing sample preparation is essential for generating reliable, reproducible data on microplastic types and concentrations in environmental samples.

2016 Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung (Alfred-Wegener-Institut)
Article Tier 2

Presence of microplastic in personal care and cosmetic products from markets in Punjab, Pakistan

Researchers assessed microplastic content in 103 personal care and cosmetic products (body scrubs and face washes) randomly sampled from markets in Punjab, Pakistan. They found that 45.6% of products contained plastic microbeads, with polyethylene microbeads present in 42.7% of products, and a higher prevalence in imported products compared to locally manufactured ones.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of microplastic traces in four different types of municipal wastewater treatment plants through FT-IR and TED-GC-MS

Researchers detected microplastic traces in four different types of municipal wastewater treatment plants using FT-IR and TED-GC-MS, finding that while treatment processes removed most microplastics, some were still released into receiving water bodies.

2023 Environmental Pollution 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterisation, quantity and sorptive properties of microplastics extracted from cosmetics

Researchers extracted microplastics from a specific environmental matrix and characterized their properties — including size, shape, polymer type, and sorption capacity — providing insights into the physical and chemical behavior of environmentally weathered particles.

2015 Marine Pollution Bulletin 935 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimising sample preparation for FTIR-based microplastic analysis in wastewater and sludge samples: multiple digestions

Researchers optimized sample digestion protocols for FTIR-based microplastic analysis in wastewater and sludge, finding that multiple sequential digestion steps improve removal of organic matter while minimizing polymer degradation.

2021 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 97 citations