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Fe3O4/Laser-Induced Graphene as an Adsorbent for Microplastics Emitted from Household Wastewater
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Researchers fabricated a magnetic Fe3O4/laser-induced graphene composite capable of efficiently adsorbing multiple types of household-derived microplastics from water, achieving high removal capacity and demonstrating reusability over seven cycles through simple magnetic separation.
Removal of microplastics (MPs), which pose a severe threat to humanity and ecosystems, is essential. Although extensive efforts have been made to efficiently remove MPs, it still remains a difficult task. We fabricated Fe3O4/laser-induced graphene, by simply irradiating a laser on the surface of a polymer prepared by homogeneously mixing iron oxide, lignin powder, and polydimethylsiloxane, to efficiently remove household-derived MPs. Subsequently, Fe3O4-laser-induced graphene particles (Fe3O4-LIGPs) were prepared through scrapping and heat treatment. The Fe3O4-LIGPs efficiently adsorbed three types of MPs (melamine—particle size: 2 and 10 μm, polystyrene—particle size: 10 μm, polyamide—particle size: 50 μm) within 300 min and could be easily separated from the solution by using magnetic force. The adsorption of the MPs on the Fe3O4-LIGPs followed the pseudo-first and second-order kinetics and the Freundlich isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacities of the Fe3O4-LIGPs for the different types of MPs were 1400 (polyamide, 50 μm), 1250 (polystyrene, 10 μm), 1050 (melamine—10 μm), and 775 (melamine—2 μm) mg∙g−1. The Fe3O4-LIGPs were reused seven times for each MP, after heat treatment, and their performance was evaluated.
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This review surveys functional adsorbents—including porous carbon materials, organic-inorganic hybrids, and metal oxides—for removing microplastics from wastewater, emphasizing affordability, reusability, and capture efficiency as key advantages. Effective wastewater treatment is a critical control point for preventing microplastics from reaching drinking water, aquatic ecosystems, and ultimately the food chain and human tissues.
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Researchers reviewed how sewage treatment plants both trap and release microplastics into the environment, finding that modern treatment technologies can significantly reduce the amount of plastic particles discharged — though plants remain a key pathway for microplastics to reach waterways.
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Wastewater treatment plants act as both a sink and a source for microplastics, capturing large fractions but still releasing significant quantities into receiving water bodies and concentrating particles in sewage sludge spread on agricultural land. Improving removal technologies at treatment plants is one of the most impactful intervention points for reducing microplastic flux into downstream environments.
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics act as sponges for environmental pollutants like pesticides, heavy metals, and pharmaceuticals, absorbing and concentrating these chemicals in ways that can amplify their toxicity when ingested by marine animals — and potentially by humans.
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