Turning point for nylon microplastics: From pollution into magnetic radionuclides remediation media with antibacterial properties

Ioannis Ioannidis; Ioannis Anastopoulos; Mariusz Barczak; Nafisatu Davies; Vasiliki Kinigopoulou; Wanlu Li; Konstantinos Triantafyllidis; Ioannis Pashalidis; Dimitrios A. Giannakoudakis; Paul T. Anastas

doi:10.1016/j.jece.2026.122625

Turning point for nylon microplastics: From pollution into magnetic radionuclides remediation media with antibacterial properties

Ioannis Ioannidis
, Ioannis Anastopoulos
, Mariusz Barczak
, Nafisatu Davies
, Vasiliki Kinigopoulou
, Wanlu Li
, Konstantinos Triantafyllidis
, Ioannis Pashalidis
, Dimitrios A. Giannakoudakis^*
, Paul T. Anastas

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are a serious global threat as primary pollutants and occasionally as secondary pollutants, acting as carriers for other contaminants. With the ongoing increase in production and disposal of plastics, and consequently MPs, this study aimed to introduce an innovative approach for transforming microplastics from pollutants into easily separable sorbents for trace radionuclides in real seawater. Specifically, Fe(II,III) oxide nanoparticles (FeNPs) were homogeneously deposited on polyamide nylon 6 (PA6) microplastics. The incorporation of FeNPs imparted magnetic properties, with the hybrid material showing high removal efficiency against uranium and americium. In particular, the hybrid material showed higher U and Am removal efficiency by 44% and 78% compared to the pristine MPs, respectively. In addition, the FeNPs incorporation provided antibacterial activity, a crucial factor for real-life applications.

Original language	English
Article number	122625
Journal	Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
Volume	14
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2026.122625
State	Published - Jun 2026

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords

Antibacterial activity
Magnetic microplastics
Radionuclides traces
Sea water remediation experiments
Sorption

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Chemical Engineering (miscellaneous)
General Chemical Engineering
Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
Waste Management and Disposal
Pollution
General Engineering
Process Chemistry and Technology

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jece.2026.122625

Cite this

Ioannidis, I., Anastopoulos, I., Barczak, M., Davies, N., Kinigopoulou, V., Li, W., Triantafyllidis, K., Pashalidis, I., Giannakoudakis, D. A., & Anastas, P. T. (2026). Turning point for nylon microplastics: From pollution into magnetic radionuclides remediation media with antibacterial properties. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 14(3), Article 122625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2026.122625

@article{e7121ab264674a0bb7b269c655b0e114,

title = "Turning point for nylon microplastics: From pollution into magnetic radionuclides remediation media with antibacterial properties",

abstract = "Microplastics (MPs) are a serious global threat as primary pollutants and occasionally as secondary pollutants, acting as carriers for other contaminants. With the ongoing increase in production and disposal of plastics, and consequently MPs, this study aimed to introduce an innovative approach for transforming microplastics from pollutants into easily separable sorbents for trace radionuclides in real seawater. Specifically, Fe(II,III) oxide nanoparticles (FeNPs) were homogeneously deposited on polyamide nylon 6 (PA6) microplastics. The incorporation of FeNPs imparted magnetic properties, with the hybrid material showing high removal efficiency against uranium and americium. In particular, the hybrid material showed higher U and Am removal efficiency by 44\% and 78\% compared to the pristine MPs, respectively. In addition, the FeNPs incorporation provided antibacterial activity, a crucial factor for real-life applications.",

keywords = "Antibacterial activity, Magnetic microplastics, Radionuclides traces, Sea water remediation experiments, Sorption",

author = "Ioannis Ioannidis and Ioannis Anastopoulos and Mariusz Barczak and Nafisatu Davies and Vasiliki Kinigopoulou and Wanlu Li and Konstantinos Triantafyllidis and Ioannis Pashalidis and Giannakoudakis, \{Dimitrios A.\} and Anastas, \{Paul T.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2026 Elsevier Ltd.",

year = "2026",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.jece.2026.122625",

language = "English",

volume = "14",

journal = "Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering",

issn = "2213-3437",

publisher = "Elsevier Ltd.",

number = "3",

}

Ioannidis, I, Anastopoulos, I, Barczak, M, Davies, N, Kinigopoulou, V, Li, W, Triantafyllidis, K, Pashalidis, I, Giannakoudakis, DA & Anastas, PT 2026, 'Turning point for nylon microplastics: From pollution into magnetic radionuclides remediation media with antibacterial properties', Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, vol. 14, no. 3, 122625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2026.122625

TY - JOUR

T1 - Turning point for nylon microplastics

T2 - From pollution into magnetic radionuclides remediation media with antibacterial properties

AU - Ioannidis, Ioannis

AU - Anastopoulos, Ioannis

AU - Barczak, Mariusz

AU - Davies, Nafisatu

AU - Kinigopoulou, Vasiliki

AU - Li, Wanlu

AU - Triantafyllidis, Konstantinos

AU - Pashalidis, Ioannis

AU - Giannakoudakis, Dimitrios A.

AU - Anastas, Paul T.

PY - 2026/6

Y1 - 2026/6

N2 - Microplastics (MPs) are a serious global threat as primary pollutants and occasionally as secondary pollutants, acting as carriers for other contaminants. With the ongoing increase in production and disposal of plastics, and consequently MPs, this study aimed to introduce an innovative approach for transforming microplastics from pollutants into easily separable sorbents for trace radionuclides in real seawater. Specifically, Fe(II,III) oxide nanoparticles (FeNPs) were homogeneously deposited on polyamide nylon 6 (PA6) microplastics. The incorporation of FeNPs imparted magnetic properties, with the hybrid material showing high removal efficiency against uranium and americium. In particular, the hybrid material showed higher U and Am removal efficiency by 44% and 78% compared to the pristine MPs, respectively. In addition, the FeNPs incorporation provided antibacterial activity, a crucial factor for real-life applications.

AB - Microplastics (MPs) are a serious global threat as primary pollutants and occasionally as secondary pollutants, acting as carriers for other contaminants. With the ongoing increase in production and disposal of plastics, and consequently MPs, this study aimed to introduce an innovative approach for transforming microplastics from pollutants into easily separable sorbents for trace radionuclides in real seawater. Specifically, Fe(II,III) oxide nanoparticles (FeNPs) were homogeneously deposited on polyamide nylon 6 (PA6) microplastics. The incorporation of FeNPs imparted magnetic properties, with the hybrid material showing high removal efficiency against uranium and americium. In particular, the hybrid material showed higher U and Am removal efficiency by 44% and 78% compared to the pristine MPs, respectively. In addition, the FeNPs incorporation provided antibacterial activity, a crucial factor for real-life applications.

KW - Antibacterial activity

KW - Magnetic microplastics

KW - Radionuclides traces

KW - Sea water remediation experiments

KW - Sorption

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105035388324

U2 - 10.1016/j.jece.2026.122625

DO - 10.1016/j.jece.2026.122625

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105035388324

SN - 2213-3437

VL - 14

JO - Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

JF - Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

IS - 3

M1 - 122625

ER -

Turning point for nylon microplastics: From pollution into magnetic radionuclides remediation media with antibacterial properties

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this