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Removal of Microplastics/Microfibers and Detergents from Laundry Wastewater by Microbubble Flotation
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Researchers developed a microbubble flotation system that removes over 98% of microplastics and 95% of detergent surfactants from laundry wastewater. The study successfully scaled the approach from bench-level to a pilot-scale column over 5 meters tall, demonstrating a practical, cost-effective solution for treating one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution entering waterways.
Microplastics (MPs), particularly microplastic fibers (MFs), released during laundry processes, constitute a major source of primary MPs in the water environment, raising growing ecological and environmental concerns. This study developed and evaluated a microbubble-enhanced flotation approach to effectively remove MPs/MFs and surfactants─essential components of commercial detergents and common pollutants─from laundry wastewater (LW). Through bench-scale and pilot-scale experiments, we investigated a wide range of parameters affecting recovery efficiency, focusing on MP properties (5 plastic types, 3 particle size ranges, and 4 concentration levels), water chemistry (5 detergent concentrations), and operational conditions (2 types of gases, 3 bubble size ranges, and 3 gas flow rates). Our results showed that under optimized conditions, microbubble flotation could effectively remove over 98 wt % of MPs/MFs and over 95 wt % of surfactants from LW. Moreover, the high removal rates achieved in bench-scale microbubble flotation processes were successfully reproduced in upscaling trials using a pilot-scale bubble column of 5.7 m in height. This work demonstrates the robustness and reliability of microbubble flotation for industrial LW treatment, providing a straightforward, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly solution for the concurrent removal of MPs and surfactants.
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Micro-Nanobubble Integrated Dissolved Air Flotation: A High-Efficiency Strategy for Microplastic Mitigation in Wastewater
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Researchers optimized a dissolved air flotation system using combined micro- and nanobubbles and achieved up to 97% removal of polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics from synthetic wastewater, outperforming either bubble size alone by enhancing bubble-particle interactions and promoting hydrophobic floc formation.
Identification, removal of microplastics and surfactants from laundry wastewater using electrocoagulation method
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Laundry wastewater from a 2 kg synthetic fabric load released up to 114,300 microfibers per wash, and an electrocoagulation treatment removed roughly 98% of those fibers along with surfactants and organic load in about 25 minutes at a cost of US$0.53 per cubic meter. The results highlight both how significant laundry is as a microplastic source and that electrocoagulation is a cost-effective option for treating it before wastewater reaches natural waterways.
Development and Efficiency Evaluation of Microplastic Removal Filter for Laundry Machines
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Researchers developed a four-stage filter for laundry machines designed to capture microplastics released during washing. Over 50 tests, the filter achieved an average microplastic removal rate of 98.5%, along with 92% removal of chemical oxygen demand. The most common microplastics in laundry wastewater were polyethylene (57%), followed by PET and nylon, highlighting both the scale of laundry-related microplastic pollution and the effectiveness of filtration solutions.
Removal of Microplastics from Laundry Wastewater Using Coagulation and Membrane Combination: A Laboratory-Scale Study
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Researchers characterized microplastics in raw domestic laundry wastewater (9,000–11,000 particles/L, dominated by polyester fibers) and tested whether combining coagulation with ultrafiltration membrane filtration improved MP removal. The combined process significantly enhanced removal compared to coagulation alone, highlighting laundry wastewater as a major MP source amenable to treatment at scale.
Enhanced removal of microplastics using microflotation
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Researchers demonstrated that microflotation, a process using optimized small bubble sizes, can remove 84-98% of microplastics from water without requiring chemical additives like flocculants or coagulants. Using a pilot-scale system, they tested removal of 30 and 100 micrometer polystyrene particles across environmentally relevant concentrations. The study suggests that microflotation offers an efficient and chemical-free alternative for microplastic removal in water treatment applications.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.