Microplastic Pollution, Flame Retardant Chemistry, and Plastic Waste Recycling
This community investigates the environmental fate, human exposure, and toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics, alongside the chemical degradation and recycling of common polymers like PVC and PET.
The research focuses heavily on brominated flame retardants, organophosphate esters, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) found in indoor dust, wastewater, and soil. Key methods include mass spectrometry for detection and catalytic pyrolysis for breaking down waste plastics. Studies frequently assess human health risks, oxidative stress, and tissue accumulation in organs such as the brain, placenta, and arteries. The work also covers the development of enzymatic and chemical recycling processes to convert waste plastics into new materials or chemicals, addressing both the source of pollution and its downstream biological impacts.
Chlorine research accounts for the largest share of this community's output, representing 12.4% of all chlorine research and comprising 2,341 papers here. Bromine and phosphorus also appear frequently, reflecting the chemical composition of the flame retardants and plastic additives under study.
The community comprises 11,530 papers, publishing most frequently in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, Chemosphere, and Environmental Science & Technology.
Recent work continues to examine microplastics in human tissues, including the brain and gastrointestinal tract, while also exploring microbial degradation pathways and catalytic upcycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and PVC for circular economy applications.
Papers behind this description
- How to Build a Microplastics-Free Environment: Strategies for Microplastics Degradation and Plastics Recycling — 2024
- Designing a circular carbon and plastics economy for a sustainable future — Nature, 2024 — doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06939-z
- Depolymerization within a Circular Plastics System — Chemical Reviews, 2024 — doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00739
- Enzymes’ Power for Plastics Degradation — Chemical Reviews, 2023 — doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00644
- Raman Microspectroscopy Detection and Characterisation of Microplastics in Human Breastmilk — Polymers, 2022 — doi:10.3390/polym14132700
- Leaf absorption contributes to accumulation of microplastics in plants — Nature, 2025 — doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08831-4
- Quantitation and identification of microplastics accumulation in human placental specimens using pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry — Toxicological Sciences, 2024 — doi:10.1093/toxsci/kfae021
- Detection and characterization of microplastics in the human testis and semen — The Science of The Total Environment, 2023 — doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162713
- Element cycling with micro(nano)plastics — Science, 2024 — doi:10.1126/science.adk9505
- The emerging role of microplastics in systemic toxicity: Involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) — The Science of The Total Environment, 2023 — doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165076
- Tissue accumulation of microplastics and potential health risks in human — The Science of The Total Environment, 2024 — doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170004
- Microplastics in three types of human arteries detected by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) — Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2024 — doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133855
- Challenges in studying microplastics in human brain — Nature Medicine, 2025 — doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04045-3
- Microbial plastic degradation: enzymes, pathways, challenges, and perspectives — Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 2025 — doi:10.1128/mmbr.00087-24
- Microplastic Pollution: Sources, Degradation Mechanisms, Analytical Advances, and Mitigation Strategies for Environmental Sustainability — Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2025 — doi:10.1007/s44169-025-00098-0
- Microplastics from Food Packaging: Polymer Degradation Pathways, Environmental Distribution, and Effects on the Human Gastrointestinal Tract — Polymers, 2025 — doi:10.3390/polym17212923
- Nanotechnology-based approaches for the removal of microplastics from wastewater: a comprehensive review — Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, 2025 — doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.114
- Plastic-Waste-Modified Asphalt for Sustainable Road Infrastructure: A Comprehensive Review — Sustainability, 2025 — doi:10.3390/su17219832