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Deep eutectic solvent-assisted extraction of chitosan for polyethylene microplastic coagulation
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Scientists used a "green" solvent to extract chitosan (a natural substance from shrimp shells) and turned it into a coagulant that clumps together tiny plastic particles in water, making them easier to filter out. This matters because microplastics are increasingly found in our water and food, and this study shows a more eco-friendly way to potentially remove them, though it still needs testing in real wastewater.
Microplastic pollution has emerged as an important environmental challenge. Among existing remediation strategies, coagulation-flocculation offers a cost-effective and scalable approach. However, the reliance on conventional chemical coagulants raises concerns regarding sludge generation and secondary environmental impacts. Chitosan has therefore attracted interest as a bio-based coagulant, but the environmental advantages of its use are closely dependent on its extraction process. This study investigates the use of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) as alternative extractants for chitosan production from whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) shells. Among the studied choline chloride-based DESs (glycerol, malonic acid, glucose and urea), choline chloride-malonic acid (CCMA) produced the highest chitosan yield (19.09 ± 0.22%) and solubility (90.68 ± 0.93%). FTIR, XRD and SEM analyses confirmed the formation of chitosan with semicrystalline characteristics, while SEM analysis revealed a porous, honeycomb-like morphology in the DES-extracted chitosan. Process optimisation using one-variable-at-a-time (OVAT) and response surface methodology (RSM) identified optimal conditions at 93.91 °C, 8.15 h and a L. vannamei:DES ratio of 0.042 g/mL, corresponding to 21:500, yielding a degree of deacetylation of 89.05% with good model fit (R = 0.9521). The optimised CCMA-derived chitosan was subsequently evaluated for PE coagulation in a controlled deionised-water suspension. After correction against a no-coagulant control, CCMA-CS achieved maximum reductions of 58.10 ± 0.63% in turbidity and 63.55 ± 0.91% in TSS at 50 mg/L. These findings demonstrate that CCMA-assisted extraction can produce chitosan that possesses coagulation performance comparable to that of commercial chitosan under the conditions investigated, although further validation under representative wastewater conditions is required.
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Scientists tested chitosan, a natural material derived from shellfish, as an eco-friendly way to remove polyethylene microplastics from water. Under the best conditions (pH 6.0 with 100 mg/L of chitosan), the treatment removed 81.5% of microplastics, offering a promising and environmentally safe approach to cleaning microplastic-contaminated water.
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Researchers tested chitosan — a natural polymer derived from shellfish — as a tool to aggregate and remove nanoplastic particles from water, finding it caused clumping at low doses but that high pH, dissolved organic matter, and surface chemistry of the plastics all affected its performance. The results suggest chitosan-based treatment has real potential for water remediation but requires careful tuning of environmental conditions.
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Microplastic fibers are the most common type of microplastic found entering water treatment plants, yet their elongated shape makes them especially hard to remove with conventional filters. This study investigated using chitosan — a natural, biodegradable material derived from crustacean shells — as a "green" coagulant to clump fibers together so they can be more easily removed, and also developed chemically modified versions of chitosan that work across a wider range of water conditions. The results showed that combining chitosan-based coagulation with microbubble aeration creates a synergistic pretreatment system that significantly improves microplastic fiber removal while avoiding the residual metal ions left by conventional chemical coagulants.
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Scientists made a low-cost water filter from shrimp shell waste (a material called chitosan) and tested how well it captures tiny plastic particles from water compared to regular paper filters. The chitosan filter caught more and smaller plastic bits than plain paper because the material actually attracts and holds onto plastic, not just physically blocks it—an early but promising step toward cheaper, sustainable ways to clean microplastics out of wastewater before it re-enters our environment and, potentially, our drinking water and food chain.
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