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Analysis of institutional authors

Di Luca CAuthorOrtiz DAuthorMunoz MAuthorCarbajo JAuthorDe Pedro ZmAuthorCasas JaAuthor

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September 5, 2023
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Article
Hybrid Gold

Mineralization of polystyrene nanoplastics in water by photo-Fenton oxidation

Publicated to:Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 11 (5): e110755- - 2023-10-01 11(5), DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2023.110755

Authors: di Luca, Carla; Garcia, Jorge; Ortiz, David; Munoz, Macarena; Carbajo, Jaime; de Pedro, Zahara M; Casas, Jose A

Affiliations

Inst Invest Ciencia & Tecnol Mat INTEMA CONICET, Div Catalizadores & Superf, Av Colon 10850, RA-7600 Mar Del Plata, Argentina - Author
Univ Autonoma Madrid, Dept Ingn Quim, Ctra Colmenar Km 15, E-28049 Madrid, Spain - Author
Univ Complutense Madrid, Dept Ingn Quim, Avda Complutense S-N, Madrid 28040, Spain - Author
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid - Author
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid , Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnologia de Materiales - Author
Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Author
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Abstract

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as hotspots for the spread of micro(nano)plastics (MPs/NPs) in water. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have emerged as promising alternatives for tackling MPs/NPs pollution, however, the number of studies on this topic remains quite limited and needs further research. In this study, the feasibility of the photo-Fenton process (UV/ H2O2/ Fe3+) carried out at ambient conditions and using a broad-spectrum UV-Vis lamp was investigated for the degradation of polystyrene (PS) NPs in water. The impact of the main variables of the process, namely initial PS concentration, Fe3+ concentration, initial pH, H2O2 dose and particle size, was evaluated. Under optimized operating conditions ([PS NPs]0 = 20 mg L−1; [Fe3+]0 = 1 mg L−1; [H2O2]0 = 130 mg L−1; pH0 = 3 and T = 25 ºC), complete mineralization of PS NPs (140 nm) was achieved in 40 min. The outstanding performance of the process was mainly due to the wavelength and light intensity of the UV-lamp employed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in the field of photoassisted AOPs reporting the complete and fast mineralization of PS NPs in water, under ambient conditions. According to our results, photo-Fenton process can be applied to higher loads and larger particle sizes by adjusting the supplied oxidant dose and extending the reaction time. Hence, the photo-Fenton process displays great potential for producing high-quality reclaimed water and/or to be combined with a conventional separation process to treat concentrate streams and mineralize NPs at WWTPs.

Keywords

advanced oxidation processesdegradationnanoplasticspolystyrenewater treatmentzinc-oxideAdvanced oxidation processesHydroxyl radical generationNanoplasticsPhoto-fentonPolystyreneWater treatment

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2023, it was in position 18/170, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Engineering, Chemical. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from the Field Citation Ratio (FCR) of the Dimensions source, it yields a value of: 5.74, which indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: Dimensions Jul 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-07-16, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 18
  • Scopus: 22

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-07-16:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 61.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 99 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 108.
  • The number of mentions in news outlets: 14 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
  • Assignment of a Handle/URN as an identifier within the deposit in the Institutional Repository: https://repositorio.uam.es/handle/10486/712128

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Argentina.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (DI LUCA, CARLA) and Last Author (CASAS DE PEDRO, JOSÉ ANTONIO).