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Review: Impact of microfluidic cell and particle separation techniques on microplastic removal strategies
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Researchers reviewed how microfluidic technology — the same miniaturized tools used in medical diagnostics to sort cells — could be adapted to separate and recover microplastics from water, offering a more precise and scalable alternative to conventional filtration methods used in wastewater treatment.
This review highlights the growing concern regarding the proliferation of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic ecosystems and their potential impact on both the environment and human health. Despite current efforts, a considerable number of MPs remain untreated due to their small size. Conventional identification and treatment methods are summarized pointing to the current limitations. Emerging technologies in microfluidics and nanotechnology are presented as potential solutions for the removal of MPs from aquatic environments. These novel technologies, which are currently being used for the development of novel point of care (PoC) diagnostic devices, can take advantage of the size and density similarities between MPs and commonly separated particles in microfluidics applications such as cells, making them promising candidates for MPs separation and recovery in wastewater treatment plants. This review evaluates the limitations of current MPs separation and recovery technologies in water treatment plants and laboratories and compares them with the promising capabilities of microfluidics and nanotechnology, providing valuable insights into future strategies for combating MPs pollution.
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Microfluidics as a Ray of Hope for Microplastic Pollution
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This review explores how microfluidic technology, which manipulates tiny volumes of fluid on miniature chips, could help address microplastic pollution. Researchers found that microfluidic platforms offer advantages over conventional methods for both detecting and separating microplastics, including lower cost, faster processing, and higher efficiency. The technology shows promise as a practical tool for monitoring and potentially reducing microplastic contamination in the environment.
In-situ microplastic pre-treatment and sorting using an inertial microfluidic device
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Researchers developed an inertial microfluidic device capable of pre-treating and sorting microplastics in situ, enabling separation of particles by size and shape prior to chemical analysis or recycling. The system demonstrates the viability of microfluidics for scalable microplastic processing, supporting both environmental monitoring and potential resource recovery applications.
Focusing, sorting, and separating microplastics by serial faradaic ion concentration polarization
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Researchers demonstrated a microfluidic technique that uses electric fields to continuously separate two types of microplastic particles in flowing water. This lab-on-chip approach could be developed into tools for monitoring or removing specific microplastic types from water treatment systems.
Treatment technologies for the removal of micro plastics from aqueous medium
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Researchers reviewed treatment technologies for removing microplastics from water, finding that while multiple methods including filtration, membrane processes, and coagulation show promise, their effectiveness depends on microplastic size, type, and concentration.
A microfluidic device for size-based microplastics and microalgae separation
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Researchers designed a microfluidic device that separates microplastics and microalgae by size using controlled flow patterns. The device could be used to isolate microplastics from complex environmental water samples containing biological material, improving the accuracy of microplastic monitoring.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.