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Synergistic role and performance of graphene oxide–polyvinyl alcohol porous composite membranes for microplastic removal from synthetic wastewater
Original title: Synergistic role and performance of graphene oxide–polyvinyl alcohol porous composite membranes for microplastic removal from synthetic wastewater
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Scientists created a new filter membrane using graphene oxide and a common plastic-safe polymer, designed to trap microplastics from water. In tests, it removed over 90% of one common plastic type (HDPE, found in bottles and containers) and up to 78% of another (polystyrene, used in packaging and foam), and it could be reused multiple times while still working fairly well. This matters because microplastics are increasingly found in our drinking water and bodies, and better filtration technology like this could eventually help reduce our exposure to these pollutants — though the filter still needs improvement before it's ready for widespread use.
ABSTRACT Graphical abstract showing the synthesis of a graphene-polyvinyl alcohol composite, vacuum-filtered onto Whatman paper to create membranes for filtering polystyrene and HDPE microplastics, achieving up to 97% removal efficiency. Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive pollutants that pose serious risks to environmental health and require urgent mitigation. This study aims at developing and evaluating graphene oxide–polyvinyl alcohol (GO–PVA) composite membranes for the efficient separation of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polystyrene (PS) MPs from aqueous media. GO–PVA membranes were fabricated on four different Whatman filter substrates via vacuum filtration employing glutaraldehyde crosslinking and evaluated in terms of permeation flux, removal efficiency, and fouling behaviour under varying operating conditions. Among the tested supports, Grade 4 loaded with 4.0 mg of GO achieved an optimal balance, delivering a flux of 127.8 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1 and MP rejection in 20–26 s contact time. Under these conditions, HDPE removal exceeded 90%, whereas PS removal ranged from 70 to 78%, reflecting polymer-specific differences. Membranes showed peak performance at pH 8, where −95.32-mV zeta potential boosted electrostatic repulsion between the negatively charged membrane and MPs. Across five recycling processes, the average flux recovery rate was 64.73%, corresponding to a fouling extent of 35.27%, with Grade-54 demonstrating the lowest fouling and highest flux stability among the tested grades. Overall, GO-PVA membranes offer a promising, reusable, high-HDPE removal alternative for synthetic wastewater, though further optimization is required for PS filtration.
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