We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Jet Drop Enrichment: A Low-Cost Method for Simultaneous PFAS and Microplastics Removal from Drinking Water
AI summary Read the abstract
This is a duplicate of entry 1099 — the same paper on using jet drop enrichment to remove PFAS and microplastics from drinking water.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and fine microplastics (MPs, 1–10 μm) are emerging contaminants in drinking water that conventional treatment technologies struggle to remove. Here we developed a sustainable and low-cost approach that harnesses jet drops generated by bursting bubbles to collect pollutants, achieving simultaneous removal of PFAS and MPs. Our results show that both long-chain PFAS (PFOS, PFNA, PFDA, PFOA, PFHxS) and fine MPs become highly enriched at the air–water interface and are efficiently transferred into jet drops, yielding removal efficiencies up to 99% for long-chain PFAS and MPs. In contrast, short-chain PFAS exhibit lower removal because of their weaker surface activity. To address this limitation, we coupled an anion-exchange resin (AER) pretreatment with jet drop enrichment (JDE). The combined JDE+AER system raises short-chain PFAS removal to over 90% while cutting material use and costs. This work illuminates interfacial removal mechanisms and offers a scalable, economical, and environmentally benign option for advanced drinking water treatment.
More Papers Like This
Jet Drop Enrichment: A Low-Cost Method for Simultaneous PFAS and Microplastics Removal from Drinking Water
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed a low-cost water treatment method that uses the tiny droplets formed when bubbles burst at a water surface to simultaneously remove both PFAS ('forever chemicals') and fine microplastics from drinking water, achieving up to 99% removal of long-chain PFAS and microplastics. Adding a low-cost ion-exchange resin extended the approach to short-chain PFAS as well. This is significant because conventional water treatment struggles with both contaminants, and this bubble-based method offers a simple, scalable solution with minimal materials.
Jet Drop Enrichment: A Low-Cost Method for Simultaneous PFAS and Microplastics Removal from Drinking Water
AI summary Read the abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and tiny microplastics are two of the hardest contaminants to remove from drinking water, and this study proposes a surprising solution: harnessing the micro-bubbles that naturally burst at a water surface, which fling surface-active pollutants into tiny airborne droplets that can be collected. The method achieved up to 99% removal of long-chain PFAS and fine microplastics simultaneously, and when combined with a resin pre-treatment step, also captured shorter-chain PFAS at over 90% efficiency. This bubble-based approach is low-energy, low-cost, and could complement existing water treatment infrastructure.
Efficient removal of microplastics through a combined treatment process: Pre-filtration and adsorption
AI summary Read the abstract
A combined treatment process integrating coagulation, sedimentation, and filtration achieved efficient removal of microplastics from drinking water. The study supports the feasibility of adapting existing water treatment infrastructure to address microplastic contamination.
Microplastic removal via physical and chemical methods
AI summary Read the abstract
This is a duplicate entry for the review chapter on microplastic removal via physical and chemical methods. See ID 47342 for context on the research summarizing water treatment approaches for plastic particles.
Enrichment of microplastics from drinking water treatment sludge
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated the enrichment and concentration of microplastics in drinking water treatment sludge, building on prior evidence that treatment processes remove up to 93% of microplastics from source water and thereby accumulate them in sludge byproducts. The study developed and evaluated methods for isolating and characterizing microplastics from this underexplored but potentially significant secondary pollution reservoir.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.