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Upcycling musambi peel into activated biochar for microplastics eradication: Thermo-kinetics and process optimisation
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Scientists turned sweet lime (musambi) peel—normally food waste—into a charcoal-like material that can soak up 94% of microplastics from water, tiny plastic particles increasingly found in our drinking water and food that scientists are still studying for health effects. This low-cost, reusable filter material could offer an affordable, eco-friendly way to clean up water supplies and reduce our exposure to microplastics, though more testing is needed before it's used at scale.
The present study highlighted the use of the biochar that was prepared using Musambi (sweet lime) peel and subsequently activated with phosphoric acid (MPB@H 3 PO 4 ) as an eco-friendly and effective adsorbent to eliminate microplastics (MPs) in wastewater. The adsorbent was thoroughly characterized by the TGA, XRD, BET, FT-IR, and SEM analysis, to know the surface characteristics and adsorption capacity. The experimental data was supported by process optimization and validation with the help of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Response Surface Methodology-Central Composite Design (RSM-CCD) models. Optimal conditions were found to be; pH 5, 60 min contact time, 25 0 C temperature, 0.3 g/L dose of adsorbent and 250 ppm of MPs concentration as demonstrated by the experiment with a maximum removal efficiency of 94.04%. The hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and electron interactions both between the adsorbent and the MPs affected the adsorption process. Kinetic and isotherm analyses showed that adsorption followed pseudo-second-order (R 2 = 0.99838) kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm, which is indicative of a multilayer physisorption. Thermodynamic studies confirmed the viability and spontaneity of this process. Moreover, MPB@H 3 PO 4 can be successfully recycled to a number of four consecutive adsorption-desorption operations. Hereafter, MPB@H 3 PO 4 ascertained itself as one of the promising, reusable and ecologically sustainable adsorbents in the mitigation of MPs contamination in the water body.
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Engineered biochar for microplastic remediation in aquatic environments: Interfacial mechanisms, modification strategies, and future perspectives
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Tiny plastic particles are showing up everywhere in our water, and current treatment plants can only filter out 40-78% of them, meaning the rest ends up in our environment and potentially our bodies. This review paper highlights biochar—a charcoal-like material made from plant waste—as a cheap, eco-friendly filter that can be specially engineered to capture up to 99% of microplastics from water. While promising, scientists still need to standardize these methods and test them at larger scales before this becomes a widespread solution for cleaner drinking water.
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Researchers created two low-cost cleaning materials from pineapple and artichoke waste that can remove polystyrene microplastics from water. These tiny biochar particles, modified with oxalic acid, were effective at capturing microplastics from acidic water solutions. The approach offers a sustainable and affordable way to help clean microplastic-contaminated water using agricultural waste that would otherwise be thrown away.
Development of functional materials for the microplastics removal and treatment in surface water
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Scientists created an affordable, eco-friendly water treatment system using recycled aluminum cans and fruit peel waste (turned into a charcoal-like material called biochar) to filter out microplastics from water. When used together in three steps, this combo removed 100% of the tiny plastic particles tested, which matters because microplastics in our water supply are a growing concern for contaminating what we drink and potentially affecting our health. While this was tested in a lab setting rather than real-world water systems, it offers a promising, low-cost blueprint for cleaner drinking water in the future.
Engineered biochar as a powerful tool for microplastics removal from wastewater: a critical review
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Microplastics, tiny plastic particles that can end up in our water and food, are hard to filter out of wastewater, which is a growing concern for both the environment and human health. This review pulls together existing research showing that "engineered biochar" (charcoal-like material made from cheap, natural sources and specially treated to trap more pollutants) works much better than plain charcoal at soaking up microplastics from water. While more research is needed, this suggests an affordable, eco-friendly way to help keep microplastics out of our water supply before they reach us.
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Scientists built a water filtration column using biochar made from banana peels that removed up to 92% of polystyrene microplastics from flowing water. The system works through a combination of adsorption, filtration, and the natural water-repelling interaction between the biochar and plastic particles. This low-cost approach using agricultural waste could offer a practical solution for removing microplastics from water in communities that lack advanced treatment infrastructure.
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