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Combined Method of Froth Flotation Separation–Raman Fingerprint and Its Potential on Sources Identification of Microplastics
Original title: Combined Method of Froth Flotation Separation–Raman Fingerprint and Its Potential on Sources Identification of Microplastics
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Scientists developed a new method to efficiently pull tiny plastic particles (microplastics) out of water and identify exactly what they're made of and where they came from, using a bubble-based separation technique combined with a laser-light fingerprinting tool. This matters because microplastics are increasingly found in our water and food supplies, and tracking their sources is a key step toward figuring out how to reduce our exposure to them and protect human health. The method worked well on real wastewater samples, successfully detecting common plastic types like polyester and polyurethane.
Source identification of microplastics (MPs) is important for controlling pollution, however, an effective method is still lacking. In the present paper, a low-dosage froth flotation separation protocol was developed to separate MPs efficiently, and coupled with Raman fingerprints to identify the source. By analyzing the alterations in surface properties of MPs, the inhibitory mechanism of activated sludge on froth flotation efficiency of MPs was elucidated, attributed to the reduced hydrophobicity, adsorption of humic acid (HA), and the concentration of HA in flotation solution. Sieving pretreatment was applied to mitigate the inhibition caused by HA, while the flotation efficiency (exceeding 70%) was enhanced by the addition of 16 mg/L cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The concentration of MPs in actual samples was quantified by FT-IR spectroscopy at 38-46 particles/L, with identified polymers, including polyamide (PA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), and polyurethane (PU). MPs in different treatment units were identified using 20 mM KBr-modified SERS via detection of surface-adsorbed substances on MPs (detection limit: 10 μg/L). Raman fingerprints were obtained by froth flotation coupled with SERS, enabling the successful detection of surface substances and source identification in actual samples. This integrated approach offers high anti-interference capability for analyzing surface-adsorbed substances on MPs, thereby improving the accuracy of environmental fate tracing in treatment systems, and promising to be an efficient and accurate traceability method for MPs.
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