Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Acoustic and thermal characterization of a novel sustainable material incorporating recycled microplastic waste

Researchers created a new eco-friendly foam material by embedding recovered marine microplastics into a bio-based matrix, producing an open-cell insulating material with strong acoustic and thermal properties. The innovation offers a potential path to upcycle hard-to-recycle mixed marine plastic waste into useful building and industrial insulation products.

2021 Sustainable materials and technologies 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Lightweight Carbon Foam obtained from post-use Polyehylene Terephthalate bottles and potential applications

Researchers developed a lightweight carbon foam from post-consumer PET bottles through carbonization, demonstrating a viable way to upcycle plastic waste into a valuable material with potential applications in filtration and thermal insulation.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Polymeric Systems for CO2 Capture: A Small Catalogue

This review surveys advances in polymer-based materials for capturing carbon dioxide as part of climate change mitigation. Polymer science advances relevant to CO2 capture are also applicable to developing materials that can remove microplastics from water and air.

2023 Materials research foundations 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Harnessing CO₂ for the Development of Biodegradable Polymers: A Review of Innovations in Green Chemistry

This review covers recent advances in making biodegradable polymers from captured CO2, an approach that simultaneously reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates plastic alternatives that break down more readily than conventional plastics. The authors survey catalyst development, polymerization methods, and material properties of CO2-derived polymers like polycarbonates and polyurethanes. While not about existing microplastic pollution, replacing conventional plastics with CO2-based biodegradable materials could reduce both carbon emissions and long-term microplastic accumulation in the environment.

2025 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Lightweight carbon foam obtained from post-use polyethylene terephthalate bottles, properties, and potential applications

Researchers synthesized lightweight carbon foam from post-consumer PET plastic bottles via a controlled carbonization process, characterizing the foam's physical and chemical properties and exploring its potential as a value-added material from plastic waste recycling.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Fundamental studies for designing insulation panels from wood shavings and filamentous fungi

Researchers tested the feasibility of making thermal insulation boards from wood shavings and filament waste to replace conventional petroleum-based insulation materials. This sustainable materials research is part of efforts to develop plastic alternatives that would reduce long-term microplastic environmental accumulation.

2019 BioResources 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Activated char from the co-pyrolysis of polystyrene and olive stone mixtures for the adsorption of CO2

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper converts polystyrene yogurt containers and olive stones into activated carbon materials for CO2 capture, focusing on carbon sequestration rather than plastic particle contamination.

2023 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-based plastics – a sustainable solution to plastic pollution

This review outlines the production, properties, and sustainability potential of bio-based plastics derived from renewable or recycled raw materials, arguing they can form part of a circular economy with lower carbon footprints than conventional petroleum-based plastics.

2025 Microbiology Australia 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Biomass- and Carbon Dioxide-Derived Polyurethane Networks for Thermal Interface Material Applications

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper reports the synthesis of crosslinked polyurethane networks from CO₂- and biomass-derived monomers via ball milling, targeting thermal interface material applications where heat dissipation from electronics is needed.

2024 Polymers 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Developing Bioderived CO2-Responsive Polymers as Alternatives to Petroleum-derived Polymers

Researchers examined the development of bioderived, CO2-responsive polymers as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics, using life cycle assessment principles and green chemistry frameworks to guide material design. The work addresses the environmental harms of petroleum-based plastic production and low recycling rates, proposing bio-based responsive polymers as a route toward materials with reduced environmental impact across their full lifecycle.

2025 QSpace (Queen's University Library)
Article Tier 2

Harnessing green tide Ulva biomass for carbon dioxide sequestration

Researchers reviewed the potential of using Ulva seaweed from harmful green tide blooms as a resource for carbon dioxide sequestration through biochar production. They estimated that Ulva biomass could capture approximately 3.85 million tons of CO2 equivalent, with nearly half stabilized through conversion to biochar. While not directly about microplastics, the study explores how repurposing marine biomass could address both coastal pollution and climate change.

2024 Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Machine Learning-Empowered Plastic-Derived Porous Carbons for High-Performance CO 2 Capture

Machine learning was used to design porous carbon materials derived from waste plastics for use in energy storage and environmental remediation applications. Repurposing plastic waste as functional carbon materials is a promising circular economy strategy that could reduce the volume of plastics entering the environment.

2025 Accounts of Materials Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Seaweed Biorefineries and Assessment of Their Potential for Carbon Capture and Storage

Not relevant to microplastics research; this paper reviews the potential of seaweed-based coastal marine biorefineries for producing third-generation biofuels and capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide.

2023 Preprints.org 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochar-amended soil can further sorb atmospheric CO2 for more carbon sequestration

Researchers found that adding biochar to soil not only stores carbon but also helps the soil absorb additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through mineral reactions. While not directly about microplastics, biochar-amended soils could offer dual benefits by both sequestering carbon and potentially trapping microplastics, since biochar has been shown to adsorb plastic particles. This approach could address both climate change and plastic pollution in agricultural settings.

2025 Communications Earth & Environment 26 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Marine Plastic Waste in Construction: A Systematic Review of Applications in the Built Environment

This systematic review evaluates how recycled marine plastic waste can be used in construction materials like concrete, asphalt, bricks, and insulation. Reusing ocean plastics in buildings could help reduce the amount of plastic pollution in the environment. While performance varies, this approach offers a promising way to address marine plastic waste while creating useful building materials.

2025 Polymers 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of composite polystyrene granular thermal insulation mortar on thermal energy storage of building energy consumption

Researchers simulated the effect of adding polystyrene granules to building insulation mortar on thermal energy storage and overall building energy use. The composite mortar improved insulation performance, suggesting polystyrene waste materials could be repurposed in construction to reduce building energy consumption.

2023 Thermal Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Valorization of post-consumer plastic packaging into a composite material

This study developed a composite building material from post-consumer mixed plastic packaging waste, providing a higher-value end use that diverts plastic from landfill. Using plastic waste in durable construction products reduces the amount available to degrade into microplastics in the environment.

2023 Proceedings of International Exchange and Innovation Conference on Engineering & Sciences (IEICES)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-Derived Carbon Emissions: From Granular Carbon to Dissolved Organic Carbon and Carbon Dioxide under Ultraviolet Radiation

Researchers examined carbon emissions from microplastics during aging processes, finding that MPs release not only dissolved organic carbon but also granular carbon particles as they degrade, expanding understanding of the contribution of plastic pollution to oceanic carbon cycling and carbon budgets.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Greenhouse Gas Reduction Potential of Novel CO2-Derived Polylactic-co-glycolic Acid (PLGA) Plastics

This study examines the greenhouse gas reduction potential of novel polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) plastics derived from captured CO2. The research suggests that these CO2-derived biodegradable plastics could offer an alternative to conventional petroleum-based polymers with a lower carbon footprint.

2025 ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment – Effects on Ocean Carbon Sequestration and Sustenance of Marine Life

This review examines how microplastic pollution in marine environments disrupts ocean carbon sequestration and marine life sustenance, with sources including city dust, tires, synthetic textiles, and personal care products contributing to far-reaching ecological consequences.

2023 6 citations