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Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Review on Identification, Recycling and Degradation of Polystyrene
ClearReconstructing the Environmental Degradation of Polystyrene by Accelerated Weathering
Researchers conducted long-term accelerated weathering experiments on polystyrene and characterized changes in surface chemistry, morphology, and particle size distribution over time, providing empirical data on fragmentation kinetics and chemical transformation needed to model environmental residence times.
Quantification of polystyrene plastics degradation using 14C isotope tracer technique
Researchers described how carbon isotope tracing can be used to quantitatively track the degradation of polystyrene plastics in complex environmental samples. This technique can help researchers understand how slowly conventional plastics break down in the environment and what breakdown products they produce.
Current techniques for identifying, quantifying, and characterizing micro and nanoplastics with emphasis on strengths, limitations, and challenges
Researchers reviewed current analytical techniques for identifying, quantifying, and characterizing micro- and nanoplastics across environmental matrices. The review highlights the strengths and limitations of methods including FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and pyrolysis-GC/MS, and calls for standardization to improve comparability across studies.
Nanoplastics Identification in Complex Environmental Matrices: Strategies for Polystyrene and Polypropylene
Researchers developed and compared analytical strategies for detecting and identifying polystyrene and polypropylene nanoplastics in complex environmental matrices, evaluating techniques including pyrolysis-GC/MS, Raman spectroscopy, and electron microscopy, and proposing a multi-method workflow for environmental samples.
Influence of particle characteristics, heating temperature and time on the pyrolysis product distributions of polystyrene micro- and nano-plastics
Researchers systematically evaluated how pyrolysis temperature, heating time, particle size, and mass influence the decomposition products of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics during pyrolysis-GC/MS analysis, providing critical guidance for improving the accuracy of environmental microplastic detection methods.
Identification of polystyrene nanoplastics from natural organic matter in complex environmental matrices by pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
Researchers used pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify polystyrene nanoplastics in environmental samples containing natural organic matter, developing methods to distinguish nanoplastic signals from complex organic background matrices in water.
Thermal fragmentation enhanced identification and quantification of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics in complex media
Researchers developed a method using thermal fragmentation combined with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to identify and quantify polystyrene micro/nanoplastics in complex media, enabling reliable fingerprint-based detection and quantification down to nanoplastic size ranges.
Promising techniques and open challenges for microplastic identification and quantification in environmental matrices
This review assessed current and emerging techniques for microplastic identification and quantification in environmental matrices, highlighting advantages and limitations of methods including FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and pyrolysis-GC/MS.
An evaluation model to predict microplastics generation from polystyrene foams and experimental verification
Researchers developed a simulation model that predicts when aged polystyrene foams will generate microplastics by linking plastic aging with mechanical failure over time, offering a tool to guide timely recycling before microplastic release occurs.
Analytical tools in advancing microplastics research for identification and quantification across environmental media: from sample to insight
This review surveys analytical techniques used in microplastic research, covering sampling, extraction, and identification methods including FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and pyrolysis-GC/MS, highlighting trade-offs between throughput, sensitivity, and particle size detection limits.
Vacuum pyrolysis depolymerization of waste polystyrene foam into high-purity styrene using a spirit lamp flame for convenient chemical recycling
Researchers developed a simple method for recycling waste polystyrene foam by vacuum pyrolysis over a spirit lamp flame for just 20 minutes, producing styrene monomer at 98% purity without additional purification steps, enabling low-cost closed-loop chemical recycling.
Degradation and potential metabolism pathway of polystyrene by bacteria from landfill site
This study identified bacteria from landfill soil capable of degrading polystyrene microplastics, characterizing the microbial community involved and elucidating potential metabolic pathways for polystyrene breakdown. The findings support the potential for bioremediation of this otherwise recalcitrant plastic.
Development and validation of simple UV-spectrophotometric method for the estimation of polystyrene plastic/microplastic
Researchers developed a simple UV spectrophotometry method to detect and quantify polystyrene microplastics in samples. Polystyrene is widely used in food packaging and can release styrene — a potential carcinogen — when in contact with hot or fatty foods, making reliable detection methods important for monitoring contamination.
Laboratory simulated aging of polystyrene particles and characterization of the resulting nanoscale plastics
Lab experiments accelerating the aging of 500 nm polystyrene particles using heat and probe sonication found that 97% underwent structural changes, with 40% showing ring-opening reactions that chemically transform the polymer. The results help explain why polystyrene — abundant in global production — appears underrepresented in environmental microplastic surveys: weathering may render it chemically unrecognizable. Understanding how plastics transform during environmental aging is essential for accurately assessing exposure risks and the true fate of plastic pollution.
Thermal Characterization and Recycling of Polymers from Plastic Packaging Waste
Scientists collected and analyzed 23 random plastic packaging waste samples from food and non-food products in Greece, identifying polyethylene, PET, polypropylene, and polystyrene as the most common polymers. Using pyrolysis, they broke these plastics down into valuable chemical products including monomers like styrene and ethylene. The research demonstrates that better characterization and recycling of packaging waste could recover useful materials and help reduce the roughly 62% of plastic packaging that currently goes unrecycled in Europe.
Preparation of Polystyrene Nanoparticles with Environmental Relevance Using a Gradual Degradation Method.
Researchers prepared polystyrene nanoparticles of environmental relevance using a gradual degradation method that simulates natural weathering conditions, finding that nanofragment size evolved dynamically from below 250 nm at 3 days to 300-500 nm at 6 days before forming two sub-200 nm peaks at 9 days.
The Biodegradation of Polystyrene by Soil Bacteria
Researchers investigated whether soil bacteria could biodegrade polystyrene, a plastic historically considered highly resistant to natural degradation since studies dating to the 1970s first examined its environmental persistence. They found evidence that certain soil bacterial communities can break down polystyrene, suggesting a potential biological pathway for remediating this persistent plastic pollutant in terrestrial and marine environments.
Determination of Polystyrene Microplastic in Soil by Pyrolysis – Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (pyr-GC-MS)
This study developed and validated a pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC-MS) method for quantifying polystyrene microplastics in soil samples. The technique offers a sensitive analytical approach for detecting plastic contamination in terrestrial environments.
Degradation of polystyrene plastics by alkane monooxygenase and alcohol dehydrogenase
Researchers investigated the ability of alkane monooxygenase and alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes to degrade polystyrene plastics, identifying a microbial enzymatic pathway capable of breaking down this highly persistent polymer that ranks among the six most commercially important plastics worldwide.
A mini-review on expanded polystyrene waste recycling and its applications
This mini-review summarizes recycling technologies and emerging applications for expanded polystyrene waste, examining mechanical, chemical, and dissolution recycling methods and their practical feasibility for diverting EPS from landfill in both developed and developing countries.
The Advancements and Detection Methodologies for Microplastic Detection in Environmental Samples
This review chapter examines destructive and non-destructive analytical methods for detecting and identifying microplastics in environmental samples, covering thermal analysis, GC-MS, FTIR spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The authors evaluate each technique's sensitivity, applicability across sample matrices, and limitations, aiming to guide method selection for environmental monitoring and research.
Thermal Desorption and Extraction Coupled With Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry for the Quantification of Polystyrene Nanoplastic in Pak Choi
This methods paper describes a thermal desorption and extraction approach coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for detecting plastic-associated chemicals including plasticizers and flame retardants in environmental samples with high sensitivity.
Potential for and Distribution of Enzymatic Biodegradation of Polystyrene by Environmental Microorganisms
By screening genome databases of known plastic-degrading microbes, researchers predicted that cytochrome P450s, alkane hydroxylases, and monooxygenases are the most likely enzyme classes capable of breaking polystyrene's C-C bonds, providing targets for engineering biodegradation pathways.
Quantitation of polystyrene by pyrolysis-GC-MS: The impact of polymer standards on micro and nanoplastic analysis
Researchers evaluated how the choice of polystyrene reference standard affects the accuracy of a key method (Pyrolysis-GC-MS) used to detect and measure microplastics and nanoplastics, finding that different standards with varying molecular structures produce substantially different results for the same sample. This highlights an urgent need for standardized reference materials to make microplastic measurement methods more reliable and comparable across labs.