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Removal of nanoplastics from aquatic environments using graphene oxide/chitosan sponges
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Researchers developed a three-dimensional porous graphene oxide/chitosan sponge with an average pore size of 21.67 µm and evaluated its effectiveness in removing polystyrene nanoplastics (31.1 nm diameter) from aqueous solutions.
A three-dimensional porous graphene oxide/chitosan (GO/CS) sponge (average pore size = 21.67 μm; pore size distribution = 0.75-319.26 μm, total pore area = 1.84 m/g; and pH = 5.76) was evaluated for the polystyrene (PS) NPs (hydrodynamic diameter = 31.1 ± 0.4 nm) removal from aqueous solutions. The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, and intra-particle diffusion occurred in three distinct stages: film diffusion, pore diffusion, and surface sorption. Adsorption isotherms aligned best with the Langmuir model, indicating a maximum adsorption capacity of 33.30 mg/g. Thermodynamic analysis showed that PS NPs adsorption was spontaneous (ΔG° < 0) and endothermic (ΔH° > 0) within the temperature range of 283-293 K. FT-IR and XPS analyses confirmed that adsorption occurred through multiple mechanisms, including electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, and π-π stacking. The adsorption behavior was significantly affected by pH, salinity, and competing ions. The highest adsorption capacity (17.99 mg/g) was observed at pH 5.5, which is close to the pH (5.76) of the sponge, due to favorable electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. As NaCl concentration increased, adsorption capacity remained stable up to 20 mM, but declined sharply above 100 mM due to PS NPs aggregation. Divalent cations, particularly Ca, significantly reduced adsorption by compressing the electrical double layer and enhancing aggregation, while monovalent cations and anions had minimal impact. The sponge was reusable after a simple squeeze-wash regeneration, achieving 83.12 % removal efficiency after 12 consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles. Compared to deionized water, real water samples exhibited similar or improved adsorption capacities, with the highest capacity observed in seawater (15.78 mg/g).
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This review examines how graphene oxide, a carbon-based material with a very large surface area, can be used to remove microplastics and nanoplastics from water. Graphene oxide showed impressive removal capacity for polystyrene microplastics through adsorption. The technology could be an important tool for developing more effective water treatment systems that protect people from microplastic contamination.
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Scientists created a new sponge-like material that can pull tiny plastic particles (microplastics) out of wastewater with over 90% success, working in under 30 minutes and reusable for at least five cleaning cycles. This matters because microplastics from everyday sources like packaging and synthetic fabrics often slip through standard water treatment and end up in the water supply, so better filtering technology like this could help reduce our exposure to these particles before they reach drinking water or the environment.
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