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Photo-fenton oxidation of microplastics: Impact of polymer nature
Summary
Researchers tested photo-Fenton oxidation as a treatment method for microplastics, comparing degradation efficiency across different polymer types. The study found that polymer chemistry significantly influences how quickly microplastics break down under this oxidative treatment.
Plastics have been widely used across a multitude of fields such as agriculture, industry, medicine, or daily needs. Consequently, vast amounts of waste are being generated, leading to environmental contamination. Microplastics (MPs), particles smaller than 5 mm, are highly persistent and act as pollutant carriers, posing risks for both the environment and public health. Advanced Oxidation Processes are promising technologies for removing MPs from water, but they have been scarcely investigated. The effectiveness of Photo-Fenton oxidation for nanoplastics removal has been demonstrated, but its feasibility for MPs elimination remains unclear. This work analyzes the effectiveness of the Photo-Fenton process for MPs (50−100 µm) removal, focusing on the influence of the polymer nature (EPS, PET, LDPE, PC, PVC). Experiments were conducted in a 0.5L glass photoreactor equipped with a medium-pressure mercury lamp (UV-Vis) and a cooled quartz chamber, under selected operating conditions ([MPs]0=20 mg L-1, [Fe3+]0=1 mg L-1, [H2O2]0 =500 mg L-1 (additional doses every 20 min), T=25ºC, pH0=3, t=8 h). Photo-Fenton oxidation was highly effective, achieving MPs weight loss values of up to 46 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/558767/document