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Pristine and UV-Weathered PET Microplastics as Water Contaminants: Appraising the Potential of the Fenton Process for Effective Remediation
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Researchers evaluated the Fenton process for removing both pristine and UV-weathered PET microplastics from water. The study found that the treatment was effective but that weathered microplastics behaved differently than pristine ones, highlighting the need to account for environmental aging when developing microplastic remediation strategies.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics constitute a significant portion of plastic pollution in the environment and pose substantial environmental challenges. In this study, the effectiveness of the Fenton process and post-oxidation coagulation for the removal of non-weathered and UV-weathered PET microplastics (PET MPs) were investigated. A response surface methodology was used to investigate the interplay between PET concentration and ferrous ion (Fe2+) concentration. The models revealed an intricate interplay between these variables, highlighting the need for a balanced system for optimal PET MP removal. For non-weathered PET, the simultaneous increase in the concentrations of both PET microplastics and Fe2+ was found to enhance the removal efficiency. However, this synergistic effect was not observed in UV-weathered PET, which also demonstrated a more pronounced effect from the Fe2+ concentration. The statistical analysis provided a strong basis for the validity of the models. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) further elucidated the mechanisms behind these findings, revealing that UV weathering results in surface changes, which facilitate hydroxyl radical oxidation. These findings underline the complexity of the Fenton process in PET microplastic removal and the different behavior of non-weathered and UV-weathered microplastics. This has significant implications for tailoring remediation strategies and underscores the importance of considering environmental weathering in these strategies.
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Influence of aging on the removal of poly(ethylene terephtalate) microplastics with ferrate (VI)
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Researchers investigated how aging of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) microplastics affects their removal efficiency using ferrate(VI) treatment. The study examined how physical and chemical changes induced by weathering alter the interaction between PET microplastics and ferrate(VI), with implications for optimizing microplastic removal in water treatment processes.
Evaluation of Fenton, Photo-Fenton and Fenton-like Processes in Degradation of PE, PP, and PVC Microplastics
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Scientists tested whether Fenton-based chemical processes, which use iron and hydrogen peroxide to create powerful cleaning reactions, could break down common microplastics in water. They found that the photo-Fenton process (using UV light) was effective at degrading polyethylene and PVC microplastics, but polypropylene was resistant to all treatments. This research is important because it explores practical ways to destroy microplastics in water treatment, though not all plastic types respond equally.
Advanced Oxidation Processes For Microplastic Removal From Water: A Comparative Study Of UV/H₂O₂, Ozonation, And Fenton Reactions
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Lab tests treated water samples spiked with polyethylene and polystyrene microplastic particles using three chemical treatment methods. All three methods broke down 68% to 95% of the microplastics, with the Fenton reaction working best and smaller particles breaking down more easily than larger ones.
New insights on aging mechanism of microplastics using PARAFAC analysis: Impact on 4-nitrophenol removal via Statistical Physics Interpretation
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Aging of PET microplastics under Fenton oxidation and seawater conditions produced different surface changes, and aged particles showed enhanced adsorption of 4-nitrophenol compared to virgin PET, suggesting that environmental weathering increases the capacity of microplastics to carry organic contaminants.
Comparison of ferrate(VI) and Fenton process for removal of microplastics from aqueous media
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This Croatian-language study compares ferrate(VI) and Fenton oxidation processes for removing microplastics from water, evaluating which treatment is more effective. Understanding the efficiency of chemical treatment methods is important for developing water purification systems that can eliminate plastic particles before they reach consumers.
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