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A review on micro and nano plastics removal from aqueous environment through bionanomaterials
Summary
This review evaluates emerging bionanomaterials — including layered double hydroxides, magnetic nano-Fe3O4, carbon-based adsorbents, and electrospun nanofiber membranes — as green remediation tools for removing micro- and nanoplastics from water, with some achieving up to 90% removal efficiency. Developing effective, scalable, and environmentally benign removal technologies is urgent given that conventional water treatment plants are poorly equipped to intercept the smallest plastic particles that pose the greatest risk to human health.
Plastics are used across the world. Microplastics of size less than 5 mm and nanoplastics of size less than 0.1 μm are the result of huge plastic waste fragmentation or straight environmental emissions. Microplastics are present into personal hygiene items like facial makeup and cleansers and nanoplastics are present in paints, adhesives, electronics, and 3D printing. Microplastics are produced from various industries such as the flocking, plastics, and textile industries. Micro and nano plastics (MNPs) have a poor rate of degradation, great affinity for other pollutants, and high toxicity in water. MNPs pollution is a global problem that poses risks to human health and the environment including plants and animals. It also disturbs the operation of water and wastewater treatment plants. For the removal of MNPs from aqueous solution, the development of nanotechnology and the incorporation of nanomaterials in adsorption, photocatalysis and the membrane filtration realizes a conceptual technique to exceed the limitations of the conventional methods. Adsorbents based on nanomaterials, like layered double hydroxides, bio and carbon-based, metal-organic frameworks, are utilized for the removal of MNPs from water. The magnetic nano-Fe3O4 can efficiently remove microplastics from water via surface absorption. The electrospun nanofiber membranes can remove MNPs from wastewater with 90% of removal efficiency. Recently, bionanomaterials are prevalent for the green remediation of microplastics because of their biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, and minimal environmental impact. Microplastics are removed from water via bionanomaterials like chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles, silk, and lignin. This review is focused on various nanotechnologies especially bionanomaterials used for the removal of MNPs from aqueous environment. Further research is required in the direction of removal of nanoplastics through different bionanomaterials because of their mobility, small size, toxicity, and accumulation tendency.