Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Material and Environmental Properties of Natural Polymers and Their Composites for Packaging Applications—A Review

This review assessed the material and environmental properties of natural polymers including cellulose, starch, chitosan, and protein for food packaging applications, comparing their performance to conventional plastics. The authors found that natural polymer composites can approach the tensile strength and water vapor barrier properties needed for packaging while offering significant environmental benefits at end of life.

2022 Polymers 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent trends in the application of films and coatings based on starch, cellulose, chitin, chitosan, xanthan, gellan, pullulan, Arabic gum, alginate, pectin, and carrageenan in food packaging

This review covers the latest advances in using natural polysaccharides like starch, chitosan, and cellulose to create biodegradable food packaging as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics. Replacing conventional plastic packaging with these biopolymer-based materials could help reduce the generation of microplastics that contaminate food and ultimately enter the human body.

2024 Food Frontiers 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Chitosan with Natural Additives as a Potential Food Packaging

Researchers reviewed the potential of chitosan, a natural polymer derived from chitin, as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic food packaging. Chitosan-based materials combined with natural additives show promising antimicrobial and biocompatible properties while being biodegradable. The study suggests these materials could help reduce plastic packaging waste and the associated microplastic pollution from food industry sources.

2023 Materials 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Research progress of biomass-based food packaging materials

This review examines biomass-based food packaging materials — including starch, cellulose, proteins, and chitosan — as renewable and biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based packaging, discussing development strategies to address current shortcomings in environmental performance, food safety, and functional diversity in the context of growing global microplastic pollution from packaging.

2025 SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología
Article Tier 2

Starch/Pectin as Emerging Renewable Materials for Fabrication of Sustainable Bioplastics for Food Packaging Applications

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper describes the development of biodegradable food packaging films made from plant-based starch, pectin, and chitosan, focused on replacing conventional plastics rather than studying their pollution.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Chitosan as a sustainable alternative for fresh food packaging: Structural insights, modification strategies, and innovations for commercial viability

Researchers reviewed how chitosan — a natural biopolymer derived from crustacean shells — can serve as a biodegradable alternative to single-use plastic food packaging, detailing chemical modification strategies, nanocomposite reinforcement approaches, and recent advances in antimicrobial and antioxidant performance that improve its commercial viability.

2025 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Role of Chitosan in Fabricating Biodegradable Films for Functional Food Packaging: A Review

This review examines the use of chitosan — a biopolymer derived from crustacean shells — in fabricating biodegradable food packaging films, evaluating its mechanical, antimicrobial, and barrier properties as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics.

2023 Journal of Young Pharmacists 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Polysaccharides as Economic and Sustainable Raw Materials for the Preparation of Adsorbents for Water Treatment

This review examines polysaccharides (including chitosan, cellulose, alginate, and starch) as sustainable raw materials for producing water treatment adsorbents, covering methods to improve their adsorption capacity through physical, chemical, and composite modifications. Polysaccharide-based adsorbents offer biodegradable, low-cost alternatives to synthetic adsorbents for removing pollutants from water.

2023 Polysaccharides 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable biomaterials based on cellulose, chitin and chitosan composites - A review

Researchers reviewed advances in making sustainable composite materials from cellulose, chitin, and chitosan — abundant natural polymers found in plants and shellfish — as biodegradable alternatives to synthetic plastics that contribute to microplastic pollution. The review covers how these biopolymers can be dissolved and combined into fibers, films, and gels for a wide range of environmentally friendly applications.

2021 Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications 117 citations
Article Tier 2

A Comprehensive Review of Natural Polymer‐Based Adsorbents for Microplastic Removal

This review evaluates natural polymer-based materials, including chitosan, cellulose, and alginate, as adsorbents for removing microplastics from water. Researchers found that these renewable materials can achieve removal efficiencies often above 90% through mechanisms including physical interception, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic attraction, making them promising candidates for sustainable water treatment systems.

2026 Journal of Polymer Science
Article Tier 2

Biocompatible materials as a sustainable solution to micro- and nanoplastic remediation and their challenges

This review evaluates biocompatible materials—including chitosan, cellulose, and biopolymers—as sustainable sorbents for removing micro- and nanoplastics from water, highlighting their advantages of biodegradability and low toxicity compared to conventional treatment media.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering
Article Tier 2

Agar-Agar and Chitosan as Precursors in the Synthesis of Functional Film for Foods: A Review

This paper is not about microplastics; it reviews the use of agar-agar and chitosan biopolymers to develop sustainable natural packaging films for the food industry.

2023 Macromol—A Journal of Macromolecular Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Chitin and Chitosan in Wastewater Treatment

This review examines how chitosan — a biodegradable material derived from crustacean shells — and its modified nanocomposites can be used to remove microplastics, heavy metals, and pesticides from wastewater. Chitosan-based materials show strong promise as low-cost, eco-friendly water treatment additives, though challenges around mechanical strength and acid stability still need to be overcome before widespread deployment.

2024 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Harnessing the power of amphoterically modified Chitosan coagulants for enhanced Polyester microplastic fibre removal from water

Amphoterically modified chitosan was used as a coagulant aid to capture microplastics from water, leveraging the biopolymer's charge-switching ability to bind particles across a range of pH conditions. Chitosan-based capture materials are attractive because chitosan is biodegradable and derived from renewable sources.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Packaging Materials for Foods Preservation: Sources, Advantages, Limitations, and Future Perspectives

This review examines biodegradable packaging materials derived from natural sources as alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics for food preservation. Researchers found that materials made from polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids can effectively extend food shelf life while being more environmentally friendly. The study acknowledges that cost and performance limitations remain, but highlights recent advances in combining these natural materials with antimicrobial and antioxidant agents to improve their practical viability.

2023 Coatings 87 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthetic and biopolymers for lake restoration – An evaluation of flocculation mechanism and dewatering performance

Researchers compared synthetic polymer flocculants — chemicals added to water to make particles clump together so they can be removed — with biodegradable alternatives made from starch and chitosan for cleaning up nutrient-rich lake sediment. Biopolymers performed comparably for dewatering and left less phosphorus in the wastewater, making them a more environmentally friendly option that avoids adding non-degradable synthetic residues to ecosystems.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Chitosan: A Novel Approach and Sustainable Way to Remove Contaminants and Treat Wastewater

This review examines how chitosan, a natural material derived from crustacean shells, can be used to remove pollutants including microplastics, heavy metals, and pesticides from wastewater. Chitosan's chemical structure allows it to bind and capture a wide range of contaminants, and it can be combined with other materials to improve its effectiveness. Developing affordable, biodegradable water treatment materials like chitosan could help reduce human exposure to microplastics in drinking water.

2025 Starch - Stärke 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Structure, Properties and Recent Developments in Polysaccharides and Aliphatic Polyesters-Based Biopackaging – A Review

This review examined the structure, properties, and recent developments in polysaccharide and aliphatic polyester-based biopolymers for food packaging applications, assessing their potential to replace conventional petroleum-based packaging materials. The paper evaluated performance characteristics including barrier properties, mechanical strength, and end-of-life biodegradability.

2024 Preprints.org 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing water resistance and mechanical properties of starch‐based edible biofilms through chitosan, seaweed, and sodium tripolyphosphate modifications

Researchers developed improved starch-based edible biofilms using chitosan, seaweed, and sodium tripolyphosphate as sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic food wrapping. The study found that these modifications significantly enhanced the biofilms' mechanical strength and water resistance while maintaining non-toxic and antimicrobial properties, offering a promising eco-friendly replacement for conventional plastic packaging.

2024 Polymer Engineering and Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Nanomaterials For Removal Of Microplastics Removal In Aquatic Ecosystems

This study explores the potential of biodegradable nanomaterials made from natural polymers like chitosan, cellulose, and lignin to remove microplastics from water. These materials have high surface areas and can be engineered to selectively attract and capture plastic particles through surface interactions. The approach offers a greener alternative to conventional filtration and chemical treatment methods, which are often energy-intensive and can create secondary pollution.

2025 International Journal of Environmental Sciences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Chitosan Biopolymer and Its Nanocomposites: Emerging Material as Adsorbent in Wastewater Treatment

This review examines chitosan biopolymer and its nanocomposites as emerging adsorbent materials for wastewater treatment, highlighting their high adsorption capacity and surface charge for efficiently removing various pollutants from contaminated water.

2023 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Biopolymer-based flocculants: a review of recent technologies

Researchers reviewed recent advances in biopolymer-based flocculants — water treatment agents derived from chitosan, starch, cellulose, and lignin — summarizing modification strategies and flocculation mechanisms, and highlighting their potential as environmentally friendly replacements for synthetic polymer flocculants that contribute to microplastic pollution in treated water.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 140 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioadsorbents for removal of microplastics from water ecosystems: a review

This review analyzes over 200 studies on using natural biological materials, called bioadsorbents, to remove microplastics from water. Researchers found that materials like chitosan, biochar, and cellulose show strong potential for capturing microplastic particles from contaminated water. The study highlights bioadsorbents as a promising, eco-friendly alternative to conventional water treatment methods for addressing microplastic pollution.

2024 International Journal of Sustainable Engineering 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Advancements in Chitosan–Anthocyanin Composite Films: Sustainable Food Preservation with Biodegradable Packaging

This review covers recent progress in developing biodegradable food packaging made from chitosan (derived from shellfish) combined with anthocyanins (plant pigments), which can preserve food freshness while avoiding the microplastic contamination associated with traditional plastic packaging. These films have antibacterial and antioxidant properties and can even change color to indicate food spoilage, offering a promising alternative to single-use plastics.

2025 Foods 10 citations