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Polydopamine-modified sodium alginate hydrogel for microplastics removal: Adsorption performance, characteristics, and kinetics

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 2025 38 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 73 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Mengzhen Han, Zihan Wang, Zihan Wang, Ziyue Xie, Ziyue Xie, Zihan Wang, Zihan Wang, Zihan Wang, Mengxin Hou, Zihan Wang, Zihan Wang, Mengxin Hou, Zhenpeng Gao

Summary

Scientists created a hydrogel made from seaweed-based sodium alginate coated with polydopamine that can remove up to 99.6% of microplastics from drinking water. The hydrogel works regardless of the microplastics' size or surface charge, and it can be reused multiple times, making it a promising low-cost tool for reducing microplastic exposure through tap water.

Study Type Environmental

The potential health hazards of micro/nanoplastics in food have become a significant concern. This study developed a Polydopamine-modified sodium alginate hydrogel (PMSAH) for removing microplastics in daily drinking water. The hydrogel's performance, characteristics, and kinetics for microplastic removal were systematically evaluated. Results demonstrated that the incorporation of polydopamine reduced the hydrogel's surface zeta potential and increased its adsorption capacity for microplastics. PMSAH5 exhibited the highest removal efficiency, reaching approximately 99.6 %. Additionally, polydopamine-modified sodium alginate hydrogel exhibited higher elasticity and thermal stability. The hydrogel successfully adsorbed microplastics, regardless of their size and surface charge. This adsorption was driven by the combined action of multiple forces, resulting in multilayer adsorption. The unique advantages of polydopamine-mediated multi-molecular interactions present a promising and environmentally friendly approach for effective removal of microplastics in daily drinking water.

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