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Enhancing microplastic removal from natural water using coagulant aids
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Researchers tested different chemical treatments for removing microplastic beads from natural water and found that polyaluminium chloride combined with polyacrylamide achieved over 95% removal across six common plastic types. The treatment worked on particles ranging from 10 to 1,000 micrometers, and natural organic matter in the water actually improved performance. The findings suggest that optimizing standard water treatment processes could be a practical way to reduce microplastic contamination in drinking water sources.
Microplastic (MP) pollution poses a significant environmental challenge, underscoring the need for improved water treatment methods. This study investigates the effectiveness of coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation processes for removing microbeads, focusing on key factors that influence removal efficiency. Among the coagulants tested, polyaluminium chloride (PAC) demonstrated superior performance by enhancing the aggregation of microplastics with flocs. Optimal treatment conditions were determined to be 0.4 mmol/L PAC and 3 mg/L polyacrylamide (PAM) at pH 8 (before adding PAC), with rapid stirring at 240 rpm for 1 min, followed by slow stirring at 35 rpm for 13 min, and a sedimentation period of 25 min. Under these conditions, removal efficiencies exceeded 95 % for a range of microbeads (10-1000 μm: Polystyrene (PS), Polypropylene (PP), Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Polyamide (PA), Polyethylene (PE), and Polyurethane (PU)) from natural water samples. Without PAM, PAC alone achieved a 97 % removal rate for PS microbeads. The addition of PAM maintained high removal efficiency, while aluminium sulphate and ferric chloride were less effective, with removal rates of 67 % and 48 % for PS microbeads, respectively. PAM enhanced MP removal across various coagulants and microbead types, with maximum efficiency observed at PAM concentrations of ≥3 mg/L. The treatment also demonstrated that organic matter in Regent's Park pond water could further improve MP removal. Size significantly impacts removal efficiency: larger microbeads (1 mm to >250 μm) were removed more effectively (95 %) compared to smaller ones (10 to <250 μm), which had a lower removal rate of 49 %. Denser microbeads like PVC (density 1.38 g/cm³) settled more efficiently than lighter microbeads such as PE (density 0.97 g/cm³). These findings suggest a need for advanced technologies to better remove lighter, smaller MPs from water.
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Enhanced removal of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics through polyaluminum chloride coagulation with three typical coagulant aids
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Researchers tested three coagulant aids — polyacrylamide (PAM), sodium alginate, and activated silicic acid — combined with polyaluminum chloride to remove PET microplastics from drinking water, finding that PAM at high dosage achieved up to 91.45% removal efficiency.
Microplastics removal from natural surface water by coagulation process
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Researchers compared the effectiveness of ferrous and aluminum sulfate coagulants for removing microplastics from natural surface water, finding that both successfully removed polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride particles. Ferrous sulfate showed slightly higher removal efficiency, and the addition of coagulant aids further improved results. The study demonstrates that conventional coagulation processes already used in drinking water treatment can meaningfully reduce microplastic contamination.
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.
Investigating the Potential of Coagulants to Improve Microplastics Removal in Wastewater and Tap Water
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Researchers found that adding coagulants (FeCl3 or Al2(SO4)3) to wastewater and tap water improved microplastic removal, with aluminum sulfate achieving 43% and 62% removal efficiencies respectively, though the high concentrations required suggest that combining coagulants with organic polyelectrolytes could improve practicality.
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Scientists tested whether a common water treatment method, coagulation, can remove tiny nanoplastics from drinking water sources that also contain natural substances like organic matter and clay. They found that using enough treatment chemical (10 ppm) removed over 98% of nanoplastics regardless of what else was in the water, offering practical guidance for making tap water safer.
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