Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Inhibitory effects of microplastics on the oxidative degradation of phenanthrene during advanced oxidation processes: A kinetic and DFT study

This study found that the presence of microplastics significantly reduces the effectiveness of chemical processes designed to break down pollutants in water — specifically the advanced oxidation processes used in water treatment. When the toxic compound phenanthrene (a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) adsorbs onto microplastic surfaces, it becomes up to ten times harder to destroy with hydroxyl radicals because the plastic surface raises the energy barrier for the chemical reaction. This means microplastics don't just carry pollutants — they actively protect those pollutants from being broken down during water treatment.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastics on microbial anaerobic detoxification of chlorophenols

Microplastics were found to significantly inhibit microbial reductive dehalogenation of chlorophenols in anaerobic marine sediments, disrupting a natural detoxification process and potentially causing toxic compounds to persist longer in marine environments.

2022 Environmental Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Surface characteristic and sinking behavior modifications of microplastics during potassium permanganate pre-oxidation

Researchers found that potassium permanganate pre-oxidation treatment modifies the surface characteristics of microplastics in drinking water, altering their sinking behavior and affecting how they are processed during water treatment.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced malachite green photolysis at the colloidal-aqueous interface

This study found that microplastic particles in water can accelerate the breakdown of certain organic pollutants at the particle surface. The research suggests that microplastics play an underappreciated role in the environmental fate of chemical contaminants.

2021 Chemosphere 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic and microbial ecological insights into the impacts of micro- and nano- plastics on microbial reductive dehalogenation of organohalide pollutants

Researchers found that microplastics generally enhanced microbial reductive dehalogenation of organohalide pollutants by 10-217%, while nanoplastics consistently inhibited it by increasing reactive oxygen species, revealing size-dependent effects on pollutant biotransformation in contaminated environments.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 31 citations
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

Pre-oxidization-induced change of physicochemical characteristics and removal behaviours in conventional drinking water treatment processes for polyethylene microplastics

Researchers investigated how pre-oxidation treatments alter the physicochemical properties of polyethylene microplastics and found that oxidation changed surface characteristics and influenced removal efficiency during conventional drinking water treatment processes.

2020 RSC Advances 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing the degradation of microplastics through combined KMnO4 oxidation and UV radiation

Combining potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) oxidation with UV irradiation (UVA, UVB, UVC) achieved 3.9–7.5% weight reduction of polyethylene microplastics over seven days, with Mn-O-Mn linkage formation and carboxyl/hydroxyl group development accelerating degradation.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 6 citations
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

Decomposition of microplastics using copper oxide/bismuth vanadate-based photocatalysts: Insight mechanisms and environmental impacts

Researchers developed a light-activated catalyst using copper oxide and bismuth vanadate that can break down microplastics in wastewater. The treatment effectively degraded the plastic surfaces, though the treated water still needed dilution before being safely discharged due to residual chemicals that were harmful to test organisms. This technology could help reduce microplastic levels in wastewater before it reaches rivers and oceans where it enters the food chain.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and other pollutants in the aquatic environment: study of interactions and new removal strategies

Researchers evaluated iron magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with varying surface modifications -- bare Fe3O4, TEOS-coated, and TEOS+MPS-coated -- for removing four types of microplastics (Nylon 6, PTFE at two sizes, and PMMA) from water, assessing how surface chemistry and synthesis time affect removal efficiency.

2025 Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT)
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

Alkaline aging significantly affects Mn(II) adsorption capacity of polypropylene microplastics in water environments: Critical roles of natural organic matter and colloidal particles

Alkaline aging of polypropylene microplastics dramatically increased their capacity to adsorb manganese(II) from water compared to pristine or acid-aged MPs, due to surface hydroxylation and carboxylation introduced by NaOH treatment. Natural organic matter (humic acid) generally reduced adsorption by competing for surface sites, while kaolin colloidal particles had varying effects depending on concentration.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 57 citations
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

Cobalt-Immobilized Microplastics as a Functional Catalyst for PMS-Based Nitrate Degradation: Optimization Using Response Surface Methodology

Researchers developed a cobalt-immobilized microplastic catalyst that activates peroxymonosulfate to degrade nitrate contamination in water, using response surface methodology to optimize performance and identifying catalyst dosage and cobalt concentration as the most influential variables.

2025 Molecules
Article Tier 2

Leaching of organic matter from microplastics and its role in disinfection by-product formation

Researchers found that microplastics leach organic matter into water that subsequently acts as a precursor for disinfection by-products during chlorination, with polystyrene MPs generating the most leachate and producing the most by-products compared to polyethylene MPs.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

New insights on aging mechanism of microplastics using PARAFAC analysis: Impact on 4-nitrophenol removal via Statistical Physics Interpretation

Aging of PET microplastics under Fenton oxidation and seawater conditions produced different surface changes, and aged particles showed enhanced adsorption of 4-nitrophenol compared to virgin PET, suggesting that environmental weathering increases the capacity of microplastics to carry organic contaminants.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Countering microplastics pollution with photocatalysis: Challenge and prospects

This review summarized the use of photocatalysis for degrading microplastics, covering catalyst types, reaction mechanisms, and operational parameters, and discussing challenges including the stability of highly polymerized plastics and prospects for scaling photocatalytic treatment to address environmental microplastic pollution.

2023 Progress in Natural Science Materials International 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent influences of nanoplastics on microbial consortium differentially inhibiting 2, 4-dichlorophenol biodegradation

Researchers investigated how different sizes of polystyrene nanoplastics affect microbial communities responsible for breaking down the pollutant 2,4-dichlorophenol in wastewater. They found that smaller nanoplastics caused greater disruption to the microbial consortium, significantly reducing its ability to biodegrade the chemical contaminant. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in wastewater systems could interfere with the natural biological processes used to clean up other pollutants.

2023 Water Research 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on microbial dechlorination of a polychlorinated biphenyl mixture (Aroclor 1260)

Researchers found that microplastics inhibited microbial anaerobic dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls (Aroclor 1260), with polyethylene causing the greatest inhibition at nearly 40%, suggesting microplastics may impede natural bioremediation of PCB-contaminated environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Significance of Chlorinated Phenols Adsorption on Plastics and Bioplastics during Water Treatment

Microplastics and bioplastics both adsorb toxic chlorinated phenol compounds from freshwater, with adsorption rates depending on the plastic type and contaminant. This finding shows that even bioplastic alternatives to conventional plastic can act as carriers for toxic chemicals in aquatic environments.

2019 Water 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Photo-fenton oxidation of microplastics: Impact of polymer nature

Researchers investigated photo-Fenton oxidation as a treatment for microplastics, finding that degradation efficiency varies significantly by polymer type. Polymers with aromatic structures and those with greater oxidative susceptibility degraded more rapidly under photo-Fenton conditions.

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

Modifications to microplastics by potassium ferrate(VI): impacts on sorption and sinking capability in water treatment

Researchers tested potassium ferrate(VI) as a pre-treatment oxidant for microplastics of four polymer types and three sizes, finding that low-pH conditions (pH 3) favor surface oxidation with morphology destruction, while higher pH promotes the formation of ferric oxide (FeO) coatings that generate MP-FeO complexes. Using ciprofloxacin as a model contaminant, the presence of FeO coatings dramatically enhanced microplastic sorption capacity, with implications for microplastic behavior and removal efficiency in drinking water treatment.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Revealing the role of magnetic materials in light-driven advanced oxidation processes: enhanced degradation of contaminants and facilitated magnetic recovery

This paper is not directly about microplastics — it reviews the use of magnetic semiconductor photocatalysts to improve wastewater treatment efficiency, focusing on pollutant degradation and catalyst recovery via magnetic separation, without addressing microplastic contamination.

2024 Frontiers in Chemical Engineering 2 citations