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Enhanced removal of microplastic fibres using aluminium and chitosan-based coagulants assisted with microbubble technology
Summary
Researchers tested the removal of microplastic fibers from water using aluminium-based and chitosan-based coagulants combined with sedimentation and microbubble flotation techniques. The aluminium coagulant achieved the highest removal rate of 88% through sedimentation in humic acid-containing water, while chitosan achieved 78% removal using microbubble flotation at a lower dosage. The findings suggest that the natural coagulant chitosan has potential as an effective and greener alternative for microplastic fiber removal in water treatment.
Microplastic (MP) pollution has emerged as a threat to drinking water quality, where fibres are the dominant type of MPs found in drinking/wastewater treatment plant influents. The potential of MP removal through conventional treatment has not been vastly studied. Accordingly, this study investigates the removal of MP fibres using two-hybrid methods: coagulation-flocculation followed by sedimentation (CFS); and coagulation-flocculation combined with flotation using microbubbles (CFm) in the presence of two different water matrices, deionised water (DI) containing surfactants and DI water in the presence of humic acid (HA). A typically used Aluminium-based coagulant (AlCl 3 .6H 2 O) and a green-based coagulant, Chitosan, were employed and their microfibre removal efficiencies were compared with the aid of turbidity measurements. The results in the HA-simulated water matrix, the CFS treatment with the AlCl 3 .6H 2 O coagulant achieved the highest MP removal rate of 88.46 %. In contrast, Chitosan was most effective during the CFm treatment in the same water matrix, with a removal rate of 78.30 % and a 5 mg/L coagulant concentration. These results demonstrate that Chitosan has the potential to achieve high MP fibre removal with less coagulant dosage in different water matrices. • Polyester microplastic (MP) fibre removal was studied. • Coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation (CFS)/microbubble introduction (CFm) were tested. • AlCl 3 .6H 2 O and Chitosan coagulants were tested at varied conditions in both systems. • AlCl₃.6H₂O in CFS achieved 88.46 % turbidity removal at pH 7. • Chitosan outperformed in CFm, removing 78.30 % turbidity at pH 4.
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