We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Preparation of a cellulose acetate membrane using cigarette butt recycling and investigation of its efficiency in removing heavy metals from aqueous solution
Summary
Researchers recycled cigarette butts into cellulose acetate membranes and tested their ability to remove chromium, cadmium, and lead from water using forward osmosis. Both freshly-smoked and unsmoked filter membranes showed effective heavy metal removal, offering a potential dual-benefit approach to cigarette butt waste.
This study investigated the recycling of freshly-smoked cigarette butts (FCBs) and unsmoked cigarette filters (UCFs) into a cellulose acetate (CA) membrane. The both samples were prepared by means of a combination of seven cigarette brands, and the phase inversion method was used to recycle each sample into a membrane using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. The efficiency of the prepared membranes for the removal of chromium, cadmium, and lead from an aqueous solution in a forward osmosis reactor was investigated. The results showed that the both membranes had a smooth surface and macrovoids. The flux of the prepared membranes from the UCFs and FCBs recycling were 14.8 and 13.2 LMH, respectively. The porosity and reverse salt of the UCFs membrane were 61% and 3.5 gMH, while those for FCBs membrane were 58% and 3.9 gMH. The observed metal removal efficiency of the both membranes was in the range of 85 to 90%. However, increasing the concentration of metals up to five times caused a slight decrease in the removal efficiency (less than 5%).
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Recovery of cellulose acetate bioplastic from cigarette butts: realization of a sustainable sorbent for water remediation
Researchers developed a method to recycle cellulose acetate plastic from discarded cigarette filters — one of the world's most common litter items — and repurpose it into a sponge-like material that removes pollutants from water with over 79% efficiency, turning a major source of microplastic pollution into a useful cleanup tool.
Cigarette filter fibres as a source and sink of trace metals in coastal waters
Spent cigarette filter material, made from cellulose acetate, leaches metals like cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc into river and coastal waters — and also absorbs trace metals from the water column. This dual role as both a source and sink of metal contamination makes cigarette filter microplastic fibers a potentially significant but overlooked contributor to heavy metal cycling in aquatic environments.
Cellulosic Materials from Cigarette Butts for Additive Manufacturing
Researchers recovered cellulose acetate from waste cigarette butts through water and ethanol washes followed by dissolution and reprecipitation, characterised the recovered polymer against commercial and unsmoked filter cellulose acetate, and converted it into feedstock for 3D printing.
The Content of Heavy Metals in Cigarettes and the Impact of Their Leachates on the Aquatic Ecosystem
Researchers analyzed heavy metal content in cigarettes and their leachates, finding that discarded cigarette butts release significant concentrations of metals including cadmium, lead, and chromium into aquatic ecosystems, posing hazards to water quality and living organisms.
Tiny but Deadly: a Threat to Environment
This study quantified toxic metals leaching from discarded cigarette butts — the most common form of plastic litter — finding that both the filter and the whole butt release metals into water. Cigarette filters are made from cellulose acetate plastic and represent a poorly recognized source of chemical pollution in the environment.