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Demonstration of serial separations by acoustic focusing for the recovery of microplastics at high concentration
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Researchers designed a microfluidic acoustic focusing device that concentrates microplastic particles using sound waves and serial trifurcated channel branches, achieving over 100-fold concentration of microplastic suspensions. The technology has potential applications for collecting and analysing microplastics in water samples.
In recent years, environmental pollution caused by microplastics has attracted considerable attention. We have been examining the applicability of acoustic focusing for the collection microplastics. In this study, we fabricated a microfluidic device to concentrate microplastic suspension over 100 times. We designed the microfluidic device to focus microplastics at the center of the channel by acoustic force and flow into the center channel of trifurcated branches. Also, we designed microfluidic channel to flow 1/3.2 of the total flow into the center channel. After four trifurcated branches, microplastic suspension is concentrated over 100 times. We evaluated the collection performance of the device experimentally. Polyethylene microparticles about 50 μm in diameter were used as model microplastics. The device was able to concentrate the microparticles over 100 times at the flow from 1 to 7 mL/min.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.