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Technical and Economic Feasibility Investigation for the Treatment of Microplastic-Contaminated Marine Sediments Through an Environmentally Sustainable Separation Process
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This Italian study tested a sugar-water separation method to remove microplastics from contaminated marine sediments, finding it could achieve up to 100% removal of common plastic types like polypropylene and polyethylene. The optimal setup used a 70% sucrose solution at 50°C, and researchers also designed a cost-optimized settling tank for scaling the technique up. The work offers a practical and environmentally low-impact cleaning strategy that could help restore polluted coastal and seafloor sediments.
This work provides a comprehensive study of a density separation treatment through sucrose solution for the removal of microplastics (MPs) from marine sediments. The theoretical determination of flotation velocities for 1.0 mm diameter spherical MPs with a density of 1.3 g/cm3 at various solution temperatures and sucrose contents was performed. An optimal velocity of 1.03 m/h was observed with a 70% sucrose solution at 50 °C. The validation of theoretical velocities was carried out through experimental tests at optimal operating conditions for polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polylactic acid (PLA), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as target MPs. The results showed an experimental floating velocity slightly lower than the theoretical predictions for PP, HDPE, and PLA. PVC, instead, characterized by a higher density than the separation solution, showed a settling velocity 42% lower than the theoretical one. Further tests were performed to assess the solid-to-liquid (S/L) ratio effect on MPs’ separation efficiency. The results showed an optimal S/L of 75 kg/m3 with 80% PVC removal and total PP, HDPE, and PLA removal. Finally, the design and cost optimization of a longitudinal settling tank were proposed for the pilot/real-scale treatment. The observed outcomes provided in-depth details useful for the development of an environmentally sustainable treatment for the preservation of marine areas.
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Researchers compared six density separation solutions and two transfer methods for extracting microplastics from marine sediment. CaCl2-saturated solution with decantation achieved 90% recovery regardless of polymer type, size, or shape, and was safer and cheaper than the next-best option (ZnCl2), recommending it as a standardized method.
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