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The effects of uv-radiation on the removal of microplastics in water using agglomeration-micro-flotation
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Researchers investigated how UV radiation affects the surface wettability of six types of microplastics and its influence on removal efficiency via agglomeration-micro-flotation in water. UV treatment altered surface properties of the microplastics, and results showed that the modified wettability affected flotation performance, offering insights into using UV pre-treatment to enhance microplastic removal in water treatment systems.
Microplastics, plastic particles with diameter 1 micrometer to 5 millimeters, can disturb marine ecosystems due to their small size and surface properties which can be a carrier for hazardous matters. While wastewater treatment plants could remove some microplastics but some of them remain. Among the various removal techniques, flotation is a potential method due to the hydrophobic nature of microplastics. This study investigates the effects of ultraviolet radiation on the surface wettability of microplastics and removal efficiency of microplastics. The 6 types of microplastics were prepared from plastic boards. After the ultraviolet radiation, the results showed that ultraviolet radiation could change the surface properties of microplastics not only the surface wettability but could also create fragmentation. Then, micro-flotation was carried out using column flotation for microplastics with and without ultraviolet radiation. The experimental results could be divided into 3 groups based on the difference in chemical bonding. Finally, agglomeration-micro-flotation was carried out to increase the removal rate of microplastics with and without ultraviolet radiation using kerosene as bridging agent. The results showed that the agglomeration-micro-flotation could enhance the removal rate of both microplastics with and without ultraviolet radiation.
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