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Characterization and Removal/Treatment of PP Microplastics from Huangpu River
Summary
Researchers characterized polypropylene microplastics from the Huangpu River, a key water source for Shanghai where PP comprises 13-50% of detected microplastics, and evaluated removal and treatment strategies for addressing this dominant form of aquatic microplastic contamination.
Global plastic production has surpassed 400 million tons, yet only a little is being effectively recycled, leading to environment contamination. Among all the different types of plastics, polypropylene (PP) is one of the most abundant and severe in aquatic ecosystems due to its low density and other behaviors. This study focuses on PP microplastic pollution in the Huangpu River, a main water source for Shanghai, where concentrations of PP is 13-50% of detected microplastics in waters. With comparative analysis with other major rivers around the world, the Huangpu River is one of the most polluted river systems among all. To solve this problem, our study evaluated coagulation water treatment, specifically polyaluminum chloride (PAC) and polyacrylamide (PAM). Findings show that particle size, coagulant dosage and the pH level affected the removal efficiency, with PAC and PAM achieving up to 90% PP removal. Showing coagulation as a applicable method to decrease PP microplastic pollution in rivers.