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Utilizing Electrosorption for Efficient Removal of Polyethylene Microplastics from Water: Critical Factors and Mechanistic Insights

ACS ES&T Engineering 2025 3 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 58 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Zheng Wang, Zhikun Chen, Feng Qi, Feng Qi, Feng Qi, Feng Qi, Feng Qi, Feng Qi, Zhikun Chen, Zhikun Chen, Zhikun Chen, Zheng Wang, Zhikun Chen, Zheng Wang, Zheng Wang, Maria Elektorowicz, Chunjiang An Chunjiang An Chunjiang An Maria Elektorowicz, Chunjiang An Chunjiang An Maria Elektorowicz, Chunjiang An Maria Elektorowicz, Maria Elektorowicz, Chunjiang An Feng Qi, Feng Qi, Zheng Wang, Feng Qi, Zhibin Ye, Zheng Wang, Chunjiang An Chunjiang An Chunjiang An Zhikun Chen, Chunjiang An Chunjiang An Xuelin Tian, Zheng Wang, Chunjiang An Chunjiang An Feng Qi, Zheng Wang, Chunjiang An Chunjiang An Chunjiang An Chunjiang An Chunjiang An Linxiang Lyu, Linxiang Lyu, Feng Qi, Feng Qi, Xuelin Tian, Xuelin Tian, Xuelin Tian, Zheng Wang, Chunjiang An Zheng Wang, Zhikun Chen, Zheng Wang, Zheng Wang, Chunjiang An Zheng Wang, Chunjiang An Zheng Wang, Zheng Wang, Chunjiang An Feng Qi, Chunjiang An Linxiang Lyu, Linxiang Lyu, Zheng Wang, Zheng Wang, Feng Qi, Xuelin Tian, Linxiang Lyu, Linxiang Lyu, Zheng Wang, Chunjiang An

Summary

Researchers developed an electrosorption method using graphite felt electrodes to remove tiny polyethylene microplastics from water. By optimizing voltage, flow rate, and salt concentration, they achieved a removal efficiency of nearly 97%. The study lays groundwork for a scalable technology that could help capture microplastics that slip through conventional wastewater treatment systems.

Polymers

Study Type Environmental

Microplastics (MPs) produced by human activities can enter the environment through wastewater systems. A significant quantity of MPs still reaches the environment via wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent because the techniques commonly used in WWTPs are not effective at removing MPs, especially smaller particles. To address this, an electrosorption (ES) method was developed in this study to separate MPs (3–5 μm polyethylene particles) from water using graphite felt electrodes. Electrosorption experiments were conducted using a static water cell and a flow-through cell to examine the influence of hydrodynamic forces. Increasing the voltage (up to 12 V) enhanced electrostatic attraction, accelerating removal. Higher flow rates improved MP transport to the electrode, boosting the efficiency. The highest removal (96.9%) occurred at 80 mL/min, 12 V, and 20 mM KNO3 after 150 min. By analyzing the influence of various parameters on MP removal efficiency and exploring the underlying mechanisms through DLVO theory, this study establishes a foundation for future advancements in ES for MP removal. Future studies could focus on investigating the removal of MPs using ES in more complex real-world environments.

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