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Tier 2
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Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence.
Environmental Sources
Marine & Wildlife
Remediation
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When Technology Meets Sustainability: Microplastic Removal from Industrial Wastewater, Including Impact Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment
Water2025
4 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 48
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Katrin Schuhen
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Anika Korzin,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Anika Korzin,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Jan Puhar,
Jan Puhar,
Jan Puhar,
Katrin Schuhen
Katrin Schuhen
Michael Sturm,
Katrin Schuhen
Katrin Schuhen
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Katrin Schuhen
Michael Sturm,
Katrin Schuhen
Katrin Schuhen
Erika Myers,
Erika Myers,
Erika Myers,
Erika Myers,
Erika Myers,
Erika Myers,
Erika Myers,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Michael Sturm,
Katrin Schuhen
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Annamaria Vujanović,
Katrin Schuhen
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Erika Myers,
Dennis Schober,
Michael Sturm,
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Anika Korzin,
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Erika Myers,
Erika Myers,
Erika Myers,
Erika Myers,
Katrin Schuhen
Katrin Schuhen
Katrin Schuhen
Jan Puhar,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Annamaria Vujanović,
Anika Korzin,
Annamaria Vujanović,
Anika Korzin,
Dennis Schober,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Dennis Schober,
Anika Korzin,
Dennis Schober,
Katrin Schuhen
Anika Korzin,
Dennis Schober,
Michael Sturm,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Katrin Schuhen
Dennis Schober,
Michael Sturm,
Anika Korzin,
Dennis Schober,
Erika Myers,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Anika Korzin,
Katrin Schuhen
Katrin Schuhen
Dennis Schober,
Anika Korzin,
Katrin Schuhen
Katrin Schuhen
Katrin Schuhen
Katrin Schuhen
Katrin Schuhen
Annamaria Vujanović,
Annamaria Vujanović,
Anika Korzin,
Dennis Schober,
Anika Korzin,
Erika Myers,
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Katrin Schuhen
Erika Myers,
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Katrin Schuhen
Katrin Schuhen
Annamaria Vujanović,
Katrin Schuhen
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Katrin Schuhen
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Dennis Schober,
Katrin Schuhen
Dennis Schober,
Katrin Schuhen
Annamaria Vujanović,
Katrin Schuhen
Katrin Schuhen
Katrin Schuhen
Katrin Schuhen
Summary
Researchers assessed a novel pilot plant that removes microplastics from industrial wastewater using organosilane-based agglomeration followed by belt filtration, and conducted a life cycle assessment. The system achieved 98% MP removal by mass and 99.9987% by particle count while reducing chemical oxygen demand by 96%, with the life cycle assessment confirming the environmental feasibility of the approach.
Study Type
Environmental
Microplastics (MPs) that are ubiquitous in aquatic environments and industrial wastewater streams have been identified as key hotspots of MP contamination. It is significantly more effective to remove MPs at these points before they enter municipal wastewater streams. This study is an environmental assessment of a novel pilot plant for the removal of MPs and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) from wastewater with a high MP contamination from a plastics manufacturer in Germany. MP removal is based on physical–chemical agglomeration–fixation by organosilanes. Formed agglomerates are separated using a belt filter. The COD is removed by an adsorption process. The resulting MP removal was 98.0 ± 1.1% by mass and 99.9987 ± 0.0007% by particle count, while the COD was reduced by 96 ± 2.7%. The system’s sustainability is evaluated using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology, evaluating system construction, operation, and end-of-life considerations. The current pilot plant is also compared to an optimized circular and sustainable upgrade, where drivers of environmental burdens are eliminated and collected MPs are reused. Significant reductions in environmental impact categories are achieved and the global warming potential is reduced by 96%. This study provides a sustainability assessment of a novel technology and circular solution to remove MPs from highly polluted industrial wastewater.