We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Effect of UV-degraded microplastics on Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) removal
Summary
Polypropylene and polystyrene microplastics subjected to 30 days of UVC irradiation showed altered surface properties and reduced removal efficiency in dissolved air flotation (DAF) water treatment, with UV-degraded microplastics presenting greater challenges for conventional water treatment processes than pristine particles.
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants that cause significant effects on the aquatic ecosystem and human health, including challenging water treatment systems due to their small particle size and high environmental persistence. This study aims to investigate the effect of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on two types of MPs, polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS), by using the dissolved air flotation (DAF) process. In this work, MPs in the size ranges (300-500 μm) were subjected to controlled UVC exposure to simulate environmental weathering. After 30 days of irradiation, the results show that the removal efficiency of aged PP increased to 40.67%, while the unaged PP was only 35.12%. Similarly, pristine PS had a removal efficiency of 14.66%, which substantially improved to 31.33% after UVC degradation. The increase in UV-aged MPs can be attributed to surface modifications, such as increased surface roughness and the formation of more oxygen-containing functional groups, which modified their interactions with air bubbles in the DAF process and hence affected their removal efficiency. These findings indicate that UV exposure significantly enhances the DAF process in removing MPs, providing a promising approach for improving MP mitigation in water treatment systems.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
The effects of uv-radiation on the removal of microplastics in water using agglomeration-micro-flotation
Researchers investigated how UV radiation affects the surface wettability of six types of microplastics and its influence on removal efficiency via agglomeration-micro-flotation in water. UV treatment altered surface properties of the microplastics, and results showed that the modified wettability affected flotation performance, offering insights into using UV pre-treatment to enhance microplastic removal in water treatment systems.
The effects of ultraviolet irradiation treatment on the surface properties of microplastics
UV irradiation was used to modify microplastic surface properties, making them more hydrophilic, which improved flotation efficiency — a water treatment technique that relies on particle hydrophobicity — demonstrating a pretreatment approach to enhance MP removal from water.
Coagulation studies on photodegraded and photocatalytically degraded polystyrene microplastics using polyaluminium chloride
Researchers studied how UV light exposure and photocatalytic degradation change the properties of polystyrene microplastics and affect their removal by a common water treatment chemical. They found that UV-treated microplastics developed rougher surfaces and new chemical groups that made them easier to remove through coagulation. The study suggests that understanding how weathered microplastics behave differently from fresh ones is important for optimizing water treatment processes.
Removal of Microplastic From Liquid Medium By Dissolved Air Flotation
Researchers tested dissolved air flotation (DAF) as a technique for removing PVC microplastics from water, conducting flotation tests with coagulant dosage optimization using a suspension of 400 mg/L PVC particles in water supply.
Ultraviolet-C and vacuum ultraviolet inducing surface degradation of microplastics
Researchers studied how UV-C and vacuum ultraviolet irradiation affect the surfaces of four common microplastic types during water disinfection. They found that standard UV doses used in wastewater treatment had little effect, but higher doses caused significant surface cracking, chemical bond breakdown, and changes in hydrophobicity. The study suggests that UV disinfection in wastewater plants can alter microplastic surface properties, which may affect how these particles interact with pollutants and organisms downstream.