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Removal of Pristine and UV-Weathered Microplastics from Water: Moringa oleifera Seed Protein as a Natural Coagulant
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Researchers tested a natural plant-based coagulant from Moringa oleifera seeds for removing microplastics from water, comparing it to conventional chemical treatments. The natural coagulant effectively removed both fresh and UV-weathered polyethylene microplastics, performing comparably to synthetic alternatives. This approach offers a more eco-friendly and less toxic option for cleaning microplastics from water systems.
The prevalence of microplastics (MPs) poses significant threats to freshwater ecosystem and human health worldwide. Although synthetic coagulation and flocculation chemicals have demonstrated initial success in removing certain MPs, naturally abundant and nontoxic coagulants and flocculants can potentially reduce the carbon emission of centralized water treatment plants and could be better candidates for the removal of MPs in open natural water systems without adverse ecological impacts. In this study, Moringa oleifera-derived protein-based coagulant and flocculant, particularly the Moringa oleifera cationic protein (MOCP) and protein-coated sand (f-sand) were developed to remove pristine and photo-weathered polyethylene (PE) MPs, which was compared to conventional synthetic alum and polyacrylamide (PAM) chemicals. Through lab-scale ballasted flocculation jar tests, we found the MOCP performed comparably to conventional alum in removing pristine and photo-weathered MPs in distilled water when using PAM as the flocculant (70% removal). The f-sand alone was less effective, but still achieved 60% removal for photo-weathered MPs. The MOCP and f-sand combined were the least effective, likely due to the charge reversal and less incorporation of MPs into flocs. MOCP+PAM and f-sand alone also were similarly effective in removing pristine and photo-weathered MPs suspended in Mississippi River water, compared to alum+PAM. Preliminary results also demonstrated the potential to treat MPs using MOCP in real river water. Our findings suggest that MOCP and f-sand can be effective, sustainable, eco-friendly, and affordable alternatives for conventional synthetic alum/PAM chemicals for mitigating MPs pollution in drinking water and in open surface water where the use of synthetic chemicals might be prohibited.
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Efficacy of Protein Extracts of Moringa oleifera and Benincasa hispida Seeds for the Treatment of Microplastics
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Researchers tested protein extracts from Moringa oleifera and Benincasa hispida seeds as natural coagulants for removing microplastics from water. Moringa extracts achieved 94% removal efficiency at a dosage of 30 mL/L, while Benincasa hispida reached 88% removal at 40 mL/L under neutral pH conditions. The study suggests these plant-based coagulants could serve as effective, sustainable, and affordable alternatives to synthetic chemicals for microplastic treatment in water systems.
Enhancing the coagulation process for the removal of microplastics from water by anionic polyacrylamide and natural-based Moringa oleifera
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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.
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.
Natural coagulants (Moringa oleifera and Benincasa hispida) based removal of microplastics
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Researchers tested two plant-based coagulants — from Moringa oleifera seeds and white gourd (Benincasa hispida) — for removing microplastics from water, finding they achieved roughly 84–87% removal rates comparable to the commonly used chemical coagulant alum. This is the first study showing that natural, plant-derived coagulants can serve as sustainable, non-toxic alternatives for filtering microplastics from water supplies.
Microalgae separation in MP-PVC contaminated wastewater using plant-based coagulant over different extraction methods in Bauru, Brazil
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Researchers tested Moringa oleifera plant extracts as natural coagulants for removing microalgae and PVC microplastics from photobioreactor wastewater, achieving over 83% turbidity removal and 63% microplastic removal under optimized conditions. Plant-based coagulants are a more sustainable and lower-cost alternative to synthetic chemical flocculants, and this study demonstrates they can handle the combined challenge of microalgae and microplastic removal simultaneously.
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