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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Food & Water Remediation Sign in to save

Greener Microplastics Removal: Progressive Replacement of Iron‐Based Coagulants with Sodium Alginate and Chitosan to Enhance Sustainability

ChemPlusChem 2025 8 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 53 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Patrizia Menegoni, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Patrizia Menegoni, Loris Pietrelli, Marco Facchino, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Patrizia Menegoni, Patrizia Menegoni, Patrizia Menegoni, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Patrizia Menegoni, Loris Pietrelli, Patrizia Menegoni, Patrizia Menegoni, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Patrizia Menegoni, Patrizia Menegoni, Patrizia Menegoni, Patrizia Menegoni, Patrizia Menegoni, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Mauro Capocelli, Patrizia Menegoni, Patrizia Menegoni, Patrizia Menegoni, Patrizia Menegoni, Patrizia Menegoni, Loris Pietrelli, Patrizia Menegoni, Patrizia Menegoni, Loris Pietrelli, Patrizia Menegoni, Emanuele Limiti, Loris Pietrelli, Patrizia Menegoni, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Marcella Trombetta Patrizia Menegoni, Patrizia Menegoni, Francesco Basoli, Loris Pietrelli, Marcello De Falco, Loris Pietrelli, Loris Pietrelli, Marcella Trombetta

Summary

Researchers tested whether natural biopolymers like sodium alginate and chitosan could progressively replace iron-based coagulants for removing microplastics from wastewater. They found that partial substitution maintained effective microplastic removal while reducing the environmental footprint of the coagulation process. The study suggests that blending conventional and biopolymer coagulants offers a more sustainable approach to microplastic removal in wastewater treatment.

Polymers
PE PET PS
Study Type Environmental

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) currently represent one of the main sources for microplastics (MPs) and other emerging contaminants entering the environment. Coagulation is a longstanding and cost-effective process designed to enhance the removal of colloidal particles and proved to be efficient in the abatement of MPs. The present study investigates the feasibility of a progressive replacement of ferric chloride (FeCl<sub>3</sub>) with chitosan (CT) and sodium alginate (SA), starting from their use as coagulant aids. Coagulations tests were carried out to assess the performance of FeCl<sub>3</sub>-CT and FeCl<sub>3</sub>-SA systems in the removal of polystyrene (PS) microbeads, polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fragments with sizes lower than 500 μm. Results from experiments have shown that both CT and SA are useful to enhance the removal performance of conventional coagulation by improving the settling characteristics of flocs. The use of CT allows a reduction of coagulant dosage for removing PS and PE particles, while it turned out to be detrimental for the removal of PET fragments. Instead, SA at a concentration of 0.2 mg L<sup>-1</sup> proved to be useful both to achieve higher removal rate at a medium dosage of coagulant and to improve the efficiency of the process at lower dosages.

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