Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Photochemistry of microplastics-derived dissolved organic matter: Reactive species generation and organic pollutant degradation

Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter released from degrading polystyrene and PVC microplastics behaves when exposed to sunlight in water. They found that sunlight breaks down the aromatic compounds in this plastic-derived material and generates reactive chemical species, though at lower rates than natural organic matter. Despite this, these reactive species significantly accelerated the breakdown of co-existing pollutants, suggesting that degrading microplastics may act as unexpected natural catalysts in aquatic environments.

2024 Water Research 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Progress on the photo aging mechanism of microplastics and related impact factors in water environment

This review examined the photo-aging mechanisms of microplastics in aquatic environments, finding that solar UV radiation drives oxidation reactions that alter surface chemistry, fragment particles further, and enhance their capacity to adsorb and release co-occurring pollutants.

2021 Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Insight into microplastic-derived DOM modulation of interfacial reactive pathways in covalent triazine framework photocatalysis

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles in water break down into dissolved chemicals that can actually help clean up harmful pollutants like BPA (a chemical linked to health problems). When these plastic-derived chemicals interact with special cleaning materials that use light, they boost the breakdown of dangerous substances in water. This discovery could lead to better ways to clean contaminated water, though more research is needed to understand the full health impacts of these plastic-derived chemicals themselves.

2026 Water Research
Article Tier 2

Concave microlens arrays with tunable curvature for enhanced photodegradation of organic pollutants in water: A non‐contact approach

Researchers designed reusable concave microlens arrays (MLAs) that focus sunlight to boost solar photodegradation of organic pollutants in water by 5.1-fold, even under low light and in turbid river water. This is not directly about microplastics; it is a water treatment technology study targeting dissolved organic pollutants, making it a false positive for microplastic relevance.

2023 EcoMat 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Photochemical transformation and interaction of octachlorodibenzofuran (OCDF) with microplastics in suspended particulate matter-water system

Researchers investigated how the toxic pollutant octachlorodibenzofuran undergoes photochemical transformation in the presence of microplastics and suspended particulate matter in water. The study found that microplastics serve as carriers for this hydrophobic organic pollutant, and their co-presence with suspended particles affects the pollutant's breakdown behavior under light exposure.

2025 Water Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic PropertiesGovern the Photodegradationof Sorbed Anthracene in Aquatic Environments

Researchers investigated how microplastic properties govern the photodegradation of anthracene, a model hydrophobic organic contaminant, in aquatic environments, finding that polymer type, surface characteristics, and aging state significantly influenced degradation rates. The study highlights that microplastics can both facilitate and inhibit contaminant photodegradation depending on their physicochemical properties.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Properties Govern the Photodegradation of Sorbed Anthracene in Aquatic Environments

Researchers found that microplastic properties — including polymer type, surface chemistry, and aging state — govern the rate and pathway of solar photodegradation of sorbed anthracene in aquatic environments, with sorption to microplastics altering contaminant photochemical fate compared to free solution.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastics on organotins’ photodegradation in aquatic environments

Researchers found that polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and polymethyl methacrylate microplastics differentially affect the photodegradation of organotin compounds in aquatic environments, with microplastics both adsorbing organotins and altering their photolytic breakdown pathways depending on polymer type.

2020 Environmental Pollution 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Photo-induced leaching behaviors and biodegradability of dissolved organic matter from microplastics and terrestrial-sourced particles

Researchers studied how light exposure causes microplastics and terrestrial particles to leach dissolved organic matter, and how this leachate behaves in the environment. The study found differences in the biodegradability of leachate from plastic versus natural sources, suggesting that microplastic-derived organic matter may persist differently in aquatic ecosystems.

2024 Chemosphere 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of polyethylene microplastics on the photocatalytic degradation of dibutyl phthalate and bisphenol A in an aqueous medium

Researchers investigated how the presence of polyethylene microplastics affects the photocatalytic degradation of dibenzothiophene, a common marine pollutant, under simulated sunlight. Microplastics altered the phototransformation pathway of the organic pollutant, potentially changing its bioavailability and toxicity in marine systems.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic strategy to mitigate microplastic pollution in aquatic environments: Promising catalysts, efficiencies, mechanisms, and ecological risks

This review summarizes recent advances in photocatalytic degradation of microplastics, covering catalysts, mechanisms, and reactive oxygen species generation pathways. The authors call for more realistic photocatalytic materials, better mechanistic understanding of degradation intermediates, and quantitative ecological risk assessment of photocatalysis byproducts.

2022 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Studies of the Photo-transformation of Emerging Contaminants Adsorbed onto Plastic in an Aqueous Environment

This thesis investigated how light exposure transforms chemical contaminants adsorbed onto microplastics in water, examining how UV-driven photo-transformation changes the toxicity of pollutants like PCBs and PAHs attached to plastic surfaces. Understanding these transformations is important for assessing the true environmental risk of chemical-laden microplastics.

2020 Loyola eCommons (Loyola University of Chicago)
Article Tier 2

Hydrophilic Fraction of Dissolved Organic Matter Largely Facilitated Microplastics Photoaging: Insights from Redox Properties and Reactive Oxygen Species

This study investigated how dissolved organic matter in natural water affects the breakdown of microplastics by sunlight. The water-soluble fraction of organic matter was most effective at speeding up microplastic aging by generating reactive oxygen species that attack the plastic surface. This matters because faster breakdown of microplastics in the environment creates smaller, potentially more dangerous nanoplastic particles that can more easily enter living organisms.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic Degradation of Microplastics in Aquatic Environments: Materials, Mechanisms, Practical Challenges, and Future Perspectives

This review examines how light-activated materials called photocatalysts can break down microplastics in water into harmless byproducts using sunlight or UV light. While still facing challenges with incomplete breakdown and variable sunlight conditions, this technology offers a promising way to reduce microplastic contamination in water sources that affect human health.

2025 Water 17 citations
Article Tier 2

The fate of microplastics in the environment: Systematic studies to determine release rates of secondary micro- and nanoplastics and water-soluble organics induced by photolysis and hydrolysis

Researchers conducted systematic studies on the photolytic and hydrolytic degradation of microplastics using three photolysis protocols and multiple polymer types to determine release rates of secondary micro- and nanoplastics and water-soluble organics, providing mechanistic data needed for environmental fate and risk assessment.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

The fate of microplastics in the environment: Systematic studies to determine release rates of secondary micro- and nanoplastics and water-soluble organics induced by photolysis and hydrolysis

Researchers conducted systematic studies on the photolytic and hydrolytic degradation of microplastics using three photolysis protocols and multiple polymer types to determine release rates of secondary micro- and nanoplastics and water-soluble organics, providing mechanistic data needed for environmental fate and risk assessment.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

State of the art in the photochemical degradation of (micro)plastics: from fundamental principles to catalysts and applications

This review summarizes research on the photochemical degradation of plastics and microplastics into value-added products and intermediates via photocatalysis. The study covers fundamental principles and catalytic approaches for breaking down plastic pollutants that are otherwise difficult to degrade in the environment.

2023 Journal of Materials Chemistry A 94 citations
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic and biological technologies for elimination of microplastics in water: Current status

This review examines emerging photocatalytic and biological technologies for breaking down microplastics in water, since conventional treatment facilities can capture but not fully destroy these particles. Researchers found that while photocatalysis and microbial degradation show promise, their effectiveness varies widely and the underlying mechanisms are only partly understood. The study highlights the urgent need for more efficient solutions to eliminate rather than simply filter out microplastic pollution from water supplies.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 137 citations
Article Tier 2

Phototransformation and photoreactivity of MPs-DOM in aqueous environment: Key role of MPs structure decoded by optical and molecular signatures

Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter released from microplastics behaves during light-driven transformation in water. They found that organic matter from benzene-containing polymers showed distinctly different photoreactivity compared to matter from polyolefin-based plastics. The study reveals that the chemical structure of the parent microplastic plays a key role in determining how its dissolved byproducts react and generate reactive species in aquatic environments.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Roles of microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter on the photodegradation of organic micropollutants

Researchers discovered that dissolved organic matter released from weathered microplastics significantly inhibits the photodegradation of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole in water, primarily through light screening effects, suggesting microplastic pollution may slow the natural breakdown of pharmaceutical contaminants.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 120 citations
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene microplastics by copper-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles

Researchers investigated photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene microplastics using copper-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles as an efficient approach to breaking down aquatic plastic pollution, addressing the limitations of conventional removal methods that only achieve surface-level reduction.

2025 Chemosphere
Article Tier 2

Influence of polyethylene microplastics on the photocatalytic degradation of dibutyl phthalate and bisphenol A in an aqueous medium

Researchers examined how polyethylene microplastics influence the photocatalytic degradation of dibenzofuran in seawater using hydrogen peroxide, assessing whether plastic particles alter the phototransformation of hydrophobic organic pollutants. Microplastics modified the photocatalytic process, changing the rate and products of dibenzofuran degradation and potentially affecting aquatic toxicity.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Review of Photochemical Activity of Dissolved Black Carbon in Aquatic Environments: Primary Influencing Factors and Mechanisms

Not relevant to microplastics — this review covers how dissolved black carbon in water affects the breakdown of organic pollutants through photochemical reactions, with no focus on microplastics.

2023 Separations 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Non-Negligible Effects of UV Irradiation on Transformation and Environmental Risks of Microplastics in the Water Environment

This review examines how UV irradiation drives photoaging of microplastics in aquatic environments, altering their surface chemistry, mechanical properties, and adsorption capacity for co-pollutants, and thereby amplifying their ecotoxicological risks beyond those of virgin plastic particles.

2021 Journal of Xenobiotics 43 citations