Ozone-mediated breakdown of microplastics in aqueous environments.

ABSTRACT: Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are increasingly adopted in wastewater treatment to degrade persistent pollutants, including emerging targets such as microplastics (MPs). These particles enter aquatic systems through the fragmentation of bulk plastics and, as their size decreases, exhibit enhanced mobility, surface reactivity, and biological uptake potential. However, the efficiency of AOPs in removing MPs and their nanoscale derivatives (nanoplastics, NPs) remains poorly understood, partly due to the lack of suitable analytical tools. Small MPs and NPs often occur at trace levels and are obscured by colloidal and dissolved background in complex matrices. Moreover, growing evidence suggests that AOPs may promote fragmentation rather than complete degradation. Thus, the focus of this st

SUBMITTER: Wieland MAB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12418336 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature