A New Approach

The rising abundance of microplastics (MPs) in wastewater has generated worries about their possible negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems and human health. Traditional sewage treatment procedures are sometimes ineffective and costly. In this chapter, a novel green approach for monitoring ambient plastic pollutants monitoring, specifically the removal of MPs from sewage, is presented. To illustrate the efficiency of spinel structure nano ferrites such as ZnFe2O4 (zinc ferrite), and CoFe2O4 (cobalt ferrite) for wastewater-based MP elimination, a series of tests were studied using domestic and industrial wastewater containing several forms of nano-plastics, namely polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and cosmetic particles. The formation of ferrite nanostructures, based on transition metals such as iron, cobalt, and manganese, employing processes such as sol-gel, co-precipitation with plant extracts, hydrothermal, microwave-assisted procedures, is addressed in the creation of magnetic spinel nano ferrites. X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the nano ferrites, verifying their tunable properties. Desorption studies were performed, and it was discovered that adsorbed MPs could be successfully desorbed from crystal spinel nano ferrites using ecologically benign solvents. The current chapter investigates the scientific evolution of spinel ferrite nanomaterials from 1985 to 2023. This chapter depicts the utilization of magnetically recovered MP-loaded nano ferrites, which are valuable energy resources for recycling, biofuel generation, and MP pollution mitigation. This chapter explores electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic bonds, particle stability, recyclability, and economic implications of spinel micro-ferrites enabling selective targeting of microbeads and microfibers for facile separation and recovery. Density Functional Theory (DFT) is a computational tool to maximize the characteristics and analyze pH, kinetic chemisorption behavior, and practical applicability of various MP entities on spinel-like nano-ferrite interface. The implementation of spinel ferrites in the photodegradation of organic contaminants is addressed. This chapter emphasizes the current developments on spinel ferrite nanoparticles, their advantages, limitations, and a platform for future marine life and sewage purification plants.