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Electrochemical Capture of Microplastics via Reversible Metal Deposition in Aqueous Solutions
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In lab tests, researchers used electricity to deposit zinc metal in water containing tiny polystyrene plastic particles. The zinc formed branching structures that trapped the plastic particles, reducing their amount in the water, with larger and smaller particles sticking to the metal in different patterns.
Microplastics are persistent aqueous contaminants for which effective removal strategies remain needed. Here, we investigate electrochemical deposition as a means of capturing suspended polystyrene (PS) particles. The purpose of this study is to understand the plausibility of electrochemical deposition as a means for removing microplastics from aqueous systems. The central hypothesis guiding this work is that ramified solid metallic deposits created during electrodeposition can mechanically capture plastic particles suspended in the liquid phase. PS particles of 200 nm and 250 μm were evaluated in ZnSO4 electrolyte under applied potentials from 0 to −4 V, with surfactant conditions also examined. Electrochemical treatment resulted in visibly reduced turbidity, suggesting a decrease in suspended particle concentration. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed particles attached to or incorporated within deposited zinc. Particle capture was not observed at 0 V but was evident under active zinc deposition at −2 V, supporting the role of electrodeposited zinc in particle capture. The observed particle–electrode interactions differed with particle size: larger particles were partially embedded within rough, dendritic zinc deposits, whereas nanoscale particles were densely distributed across the deposited structure. These observations demonstrate the ability of electrodeposition to facilitate particle capture through distinct particle–deposit interactions and support its potential as a tunable approach for investigating microplastic capture in aqueous systems.
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