Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Waste Textile Reutilization Via a Scalable Dyeing Technology: A Strategy to Enhance Dyestuffs Degradation Efficiency

Researchers developed a greener way to recycle waste textiles by coating them with a titanium dioxide and graphene oxide material, turning old fabrics into pollution-fighting filters that absorb dye contaminants at night and break them down under sunlight during the day. The approach addresses both the fast fashion waste crisis and dye-related water pollution in a single sustainable system.

2022 Advanced Fiber Materials 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Engineered biochar-metal oxide nanocomposites for targeted dye remediation in textile wastewater

**TLDR:** This research review summarizes new materials that could better clean cancer-causing dyes from clothing factory wastewater before it reaches our drinking water sources. While lab tests show these materials can remove over 95% of harmful dyes, they don't work as well in real-world conditions with dirty industrial wastewater. Better water treatment is crucial since textile factories dump 280,000 tons of toxic dyes into waterways each year, threatening both wildlife and human health.

2026 Journal of Ecological Engineering
Article Tier 2

Rubber/BiOCl: Yb,Er composite for the enhanced degradation of methylene blue and Rhodamine B dyes under solar irradiation

Researchers created a composite material by combining a photocatalyst with recycled rubber from bicycle tires that can break down textile dyes under sunlight. The composite completely degraded methylene blue and rhodamine B dyes through solar-powered photocatalytic reactions. This approach demonstrates a practical way to repurpose rubber waste while simultaneously addressing water pollution from industrial dye contamination.

2025 Journal of Alloys and Compounds 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Peroxymonosulfate enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic dye by metal-free TpTt-COF under visible light irradiation

Researchers developed a metal-free, visible-light-activated photocatalyst called TpTt-COF that, when combined with a chemical oxidant (peroxymonosulfate), degrades organic dye pollutants 13.9 times faster than a comparable carbon-based material. The catalyst remained 83% effective after five reuse cycles, making it a promising candidate for treating chemical contaminants in water.

2024 Scientific Reports 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption and Photocatalytic Mineralization of Bromophenol Blue Dye with TiO2 Modified with Clinoptilolite/Activated Carbon

Researchers studied the removal of a synthetic dye from wastewater using a titanium dioxide/activated carbon photocatalyst under UV light. Advanced photocatalytic water treatment technologies have potential application in degrading microplastics and associated chemical contaminants in wastewater streams.

2020 Catalysts 26 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

Low environmental impact remediation of microplastics: Visible-light photocatalytic degradation of PET microplastics using bio-inspired C,N-TiO2/SiO2 photocatalysts

Researchers developed a new light-powered cleaning method using modified titanium dioxide to break down PET microplastics in water. The process works under visible light at room temperature, making it more practical and environmentally friendly than other cleanup approaches. This matters because PET is one of the most common plastics found polluting waterways.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 71 citations
Article Tier 2

The Comparison of Metal Doped TiO2 Photocatalytic Active Fabrics under Sunlight for Waste Water Treatment Applications

Researchers developed metal-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticle-coated fabrics that can self-clean stains under sunlight, potentially reducing the need for chemical detergents during washing. The study notes that frequent textile washing releases both toxic effluents and microfibers into water systems, and these photocatalytic fabrics could help reduce that environmental burden.

2023 Catalysts 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Sunlight-Driven Photocatalytic Active Fabrics through Immobilization of Functionalized Doped Titania Nanoparticles

Researchers developed sunlight-driven self-cleaning fabrics by immobilizing zinc-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles onto textiles, reducing the need for chemical detergents and limiting the release of microfibers and harmful effluents during washing.

2023 Polymers 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effective degradation of synthetic micropollutants and real textile wastewater via a visible light-activated persulfate system using novel spinach leaf-derived biochar

Researchers created a novel biochar from spinach leaves and used it to activate persulfate for degrading methylene blue dye under visible light conditions. The system achieved over 83% degradation efficiency and showed promise for treating real textile wastewater, demonstrating a sustainable approach to removing organic pollutants from contaminated water.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue Dye by Promising Zinc Copper Ferrite Nanoparticles for Wastewater Treatment

Researchers synthesized copper-zinc ferrite nanoparticles and tested their ability to break down methylene blue dye in wastewater using photocatalysis. They found that the nanoparticles effectively degraded the dye under light exposure, demonstrating strong potential for water treatment applications. The study presents a relatively simple and cost-effective approach for removing harmful dye pollutants from industrial wastewater.

2024 Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Proceso foto-Fenton como una alternativa en la degradación de microplásticos de poliamida presentes en aguas residuales textiles

Researchers evaluated the photo-Fenton process as an alternative treatment method for degrading polyamide microplastics present in textile wastewater, addressing the challenge of microplastic pollution arising from the textile industry. The study found that photo-Fenton oxidation was effective at breaking down polyamide particles under optimized conditions, offering a potential treatment pathway for microplastic-contaminated industrial effluents.

2022
Article Tier 2

Hydrophilicity-Enhanced NH 2 -MIL-88B(Fe) Integrated Photocatalytic Membrane Reactor for Simultaneous Rejection and Degradation of Low-Density Polyethylene in Water Matrices

Scientists developed a new water filter system that can both trap and break down tiny plastic particles (called microplastics) that contaminate our drinking water. The filter successfully removed 97% of plastic particles and broke down an additional 22% of them using light. This technology could help make our water safer to drink by removing harmful plastic pollution that poses health risks to humans.

2026 ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
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

Synergistic dual-defect band engineering for highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of microplastics via Nb-induced oxygen vacancies in SnO2 quantum dots

Researchers engineered a new material using niobium-doped tin oxide quantum dots that can break down polyethylene microplastics in water using visible light. The material works through a photocatalytic process, meaning sunlight can power the degradation of microplastics in real-world water conditions. This technology could offer a practical way to clean microplastic-contaminated water sources.

2025 Journal of Materials Chemistry A 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Harnessing Bio-Immobilized ZnO/CNT/Chitosan Ternary Composite Fabric for Enhanced Photodegradation of a Commercial Reactive Dye

This paper is not about microplastics; it describes the fabrication and testing of a ZnO/carbon nanotube/chitosan composite fabric as a photocatalyst for degrading textile dye (Reactive Blue 4) in wastewater, with no connection to microplastic research.

2023 Molecules 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in the Remediation of Textile-Dye-Containing Wastewater: Prioritizing Human Health and Sustainable Wastewater Treatment

This review examines how the textile industry is a major source of wastewater containing harmful dyes and chemicals that threaten water quality and human health. It evaluates sustainable treatment approaches including bio-adsorbents, membrane technology, and advanced oxidation processes for cleaning textile wastewater and recovering useful materials.

2024 Sustainability 398 citations
Article Tier 2

A reusable mesoporous adsorbent for efficient treatment of hazardous triphenylmethane dye wastewater: RSM-CCD optimization and rapid microwave-assisted regeneration

Researchers synthesized a porous nanomaterial made from calcium and aluminum that can adsorb large amounts of the toxic industrial dye malachite green from wastewater, then rapidly regenerate it for reuse using microwave heating — retaining over 90% efficiency after five cycles. The approach offers an energy-efficient and reusable solution for removing hazardous organic pollutants from industrial wastewater.

2021 Scientific Reports 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing nanoplastics removal and green hydrogen recovery through photovoltaic-driven hybrid electrochemical treatment of urban treated wastewater

Scientists developed a new solar-powered water treatment system that removes 92% of tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) from wastewater while also producing clean hydrogen fuel. This is important because nanoplastics are increasingly found in our drinking water and may pose health risks, so having an effective way to remove them while creating useful energy could help protect both our health and environment. The system works like getting two benefits for the price of one – cleaner water and renewable fuel from the same process.

2026 Chemical Engineering Journal
Article Tier 2

Synergistic Microbial Degradation of Microplastics and Toxic Dyes Showing Potential Reuse of the Degraded Dye Metabolites

Researchers isolated bacteria from textile dyeing wastewater capable of degrading both polyethylene microplastics and toxic dyes simultaneously, demonstrating a synergistic microbial approach to treating combined plastic and textile effluent pollution.

2023 Biology Bulletin 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Natural sunlight-driven photocatalytic degradation of polypropylene microplastics over ZnO nanorods

Scientists developed a zinc oxide photocatalyst that, when exposed to natural sunlight, broke down polypropylene microplastics five times faster than natural degradation alone. The technology uses sunlight to trigger chemical reactions that oxidize and degrade the plastic particles. This approach represents a promising and sustainable method for cleaning up microplastic pollution in water, which could help reduce the amount of microplastics that eventually reach humans through the water supply.

2025 Environmental Research 8 citations
Article Tier 2

A Review on Photocatalysis Used For Wastewater Treatment: Dye Degradation

Researchers reviewed metal oxide-based photocatalysts — materials that use light to break down pollutants — for treating dye-contaminated wastewater, highlighting how rare-earth doping and nanocomposite design can overcome the limitations of standard titanium dioxide catalysts and improve degradation efficiency under visible light.

2023 Water Air & Soil Pollution 518 citations
Article Tier 2

Water hyacinth-inspired self-floating photocatalytic system for efficient and sustainable water purification

Researchers developed a floating water purification device inspired by the water hyacinth plant, combining a buoyant porous structure with a light-activated photocatalyst to break down pollutants. The device effectively degraded various contaminants including dyes, antibiotics, and microplastics using only sunlight, while remaining stable in both still and flowing water. The study demonstrates a practical, sustainable approach to water cleanup that works without chemicals or external energy sources.

2025 npj Clean Water 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Quick-Release Antifouling Hydrogels for Solar-Driven Water Purification

Scientists created a loofah-inspired hydrogel material that uses sunlight to purify contaminated water at a rate of about 26 kilograms per square meter per hour, enough to meet daily drinking water needs. The material resists fouling and can produce clean water from various contaminated sources including those containing microplastics and heavy metals. This solar-powered approach offers a sustainable, off-grid solution for water purification in areas lacking conventional infrastructure.

2023 ACS Central Science 33 citations