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Addressing plastic pollution: A 3D-printed porous PAC scaffold for effective nanoplastic removal
Summary
Researchers used 3D printing to fabricate porous activated carbon scaffolds and demonstrated they effectively adsorb multiple types of nanoplastics — including polystyrene, PET, polypropylene, and PVC — from freshwater samples through a combination of pore-filling and chemical interactions, with stable performance across varied environmental conditions.
The extensive presence of nanoplastics has raised concerns about their effects on ecosystems and human health. Because of the heightened ecological and biological risks posed by nanoplastics, effective removal strategies for these particles are essential. This study focuses on the use of additive manufacturing techniques to fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) structure with integrated powdered activated carbon (PAC) as an active adsorbent for the removal of various types of polymer nanoplastics. The 3D-printed porous PAC scaffold was characterized using various analysis methods, and its adsorption kinetics and mechanisms for polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics were elucidated. The 3D PAC's versatility was verified against several other nanoplastics, including polyethylene terephthalate, low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride. The results demonstrated that the 3D PAC scaffold effectively adsorbs PS nanoplastics through pore filling and chemical processes and that the adsorption exhibits pseudo-first-order kinetics and conforms to the Langmuir isotherm model. The 3D PAC maintained its adsorption performance under various environmental conditions and exhibited promising results when used to remove nanoplastics from real freshwater samples. This research demonstrates the potential of 3D-printed PACs to address the growing challenge of plastic pollution.