Microplastics, Flame Retardants, and Plastic Waste Management
This research community investigates the environmental distribution, human exposure, and toxicological effects of microplastics and nanoplastics, alongside the chemical recycling and degradation of common plastics like PVC and PET.
The work centers on identifying and quantifying specific polymer types, with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) appearing frequently in titles. A significant portion of the research focuses on additives, particularly brominated flame retardants and organophosphate esters, analyzing their persistence in indoor dust and their potential for human exposure. Methodologically, the community relies heavily on mass spectrometry for detection and characterization. Applications span from assessing oxidative stress and health risks in humans to developing catalytic pyrolysis and enzymatic methods for plastic degradation and chemical recycling.
The largest share of the community's output is found in chlorine research, accounting for 7.2% of all chlorine-related papers, with 3,102 papers in this group. Bromine research follows with a 1.6% share (858 papers), and phosphorus research with a 1.0% share (1,090 papers).
The community comprises 23,243 papers, publishing most frequently in Polymer Degradation and Stability, The Science of The Total Environment, and Chemosphere.
Recent work continues to focus on the translocation of nanoplastics across biological barriers, their presence in human tissues such as the brain and breastmilk, and the development of closed-loop recycling strategies for polyethylene and PET.