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Removal of Microplastics from Drinking Water by Moringa oleifera Seed: Comparative Performance with Alum in Direct and in-Line Filtration Systems
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A study compared Moringa oleifera seed extract—a natural, plant-based coagulant—to conventional aluminum sulfate for removing microplastics from low-turbidity drinking water, finding both achieved over 98% removal efficiency, but the natural extract worked effectively across a wider pH range (5–8 vs. 5–7 for alum). Moringa-based treatment could offer a sustainable, lower-chemical-impact alternative for drinking water treatment in regions where aluminum chemicals are costly or controversial. This is relevant to global efforts to remove microplastics from tap water before human consumption.
In this study, the removal efficiency of aged polyvinyl chloride microplastics (Aged-PVC MPs) from low-turbidity drinking water using Moringa oleifera seed saline extract (MOS-SE) and aluminum sulfate (alum) in direct filtration (coagulation-flocculation-filtration) and in-line filtration (coagulation-filtration) systems is investigated. Aged-PVC MPs (15 mg/L, D50 = 15.0 μm) and humic acid (10 mg/L) were spiked into synthetic water to evaluate removal performance across pH 5.0-8.0. The optimal conditions achieved >98% turbidity removal with 30 mg/L MOS-SE and 9 mg/L alum at a pH of 6.0, corresponding to 98.5% and 98.7% of Aged-PVC MP removal, respectively, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy particle counting. Although nonintrusive floc imaging revealed differences between coagulated (43-46 μm) and flocculated aggregates (61-66 μm), in-line filtration performs equivalently to direct filtration in terms of MP removal, demonstrating that direct filtration's flocculation step was unnecessary. MOS-SE exhibited superior performance across broader pH ranges (5.0-8.0) compared with alum (5.0-7.0). While MOS-SE increased dissolved organic carbon because of residual organic matter, it effectively reduced specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) by 88%, indicating efficient removal of aromatic natural organic matter. These findings demonstrate the viability of Moringa oleifera as a sustainable alternative for MP removal in drinking water treatment via in-line filtration.
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Scientists tested improved water treatment methods using aluminum sulfate combined with either a synthetic aid or natural Moringa oleifera seed extract to remove microplastics from water. Both combinations achieved over 80-93% removal for certain plastic types, and the natural plant-based approach cut the required chemical dose in half -- offering a more sustainable way to keep microplastics out of drinking water.
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