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Determining the Impact of a Flocculant or Surfactant on Microplastic Recovery
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Preliminary investigation found that common flocculants and surfactants like aluminum sulfate and Tween 80 affect the recovery rate of microplastics from water samples during separation protocols. Understanding how these chemical treatments interact with microplastics is important for developing effective water treatment strategies to remove these particles from drinking water supplies.
Microplastics are defined as either synthetic solid particles or polymers smaller than five millimeters. These particles are insoluble in water, which allows them to accumulate in water sources. Their size allows them to be ingested by wildlife such as fish and other food sources that leads to bioaccumulation up the food chain. Additionally, microplastics can act as vectors to heavy metals, increasing the concentration of these toxins in those exposed. This project is a preliminary investigation into the effects of adding a flocculant or surfactants (aluminum sulfate, Tween 80, or Span 80) on microplastic recovery and removal from water samples. A standardized mixture of the most common commercially used plastics has been developed for this project. This mixture underwent a separation protocol that was previously developed to determine effect on the recovery rate and ease of identification of microplastics in an aqueous sample.
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Determining the Impact of Surfactant Type, Concentration, and Solubility on Microplastic Aggregation
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Undergraduate researchers tested the surfactant Tween 80 and Span 80 at varying concentrations to aggregate and recover microplastics from water samples, exploring how surfactant type and preparation methodology affect recovery efficiency. This novel aggregation methodology could improve detection and quantification of microplastics in water, which is critical for understanding exposure levels in drinking water and aquatic ecosystems.
Mechanistic Study on Surfactant Enhanced Microbubble Flotation for the Removal of Microplastics in Wastewater
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Researchers developed and tested a microbubble flotation system enhanced with surfactants that achieved high removal efficiency of microplastics from wastewater by exploiting differences in particle surface hydrophobicity and bubble attachment. Because conventional wastewater treatment plants allow significant quantities of microplastics to pass through into receiving waterways, innovative physical separation methods like microbubble flotation are critical for reducing the volume entering aquatic environments and, ultimately, the food supply.
Efficient recovery of microplastics from sediments by foam flotation
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Researchers evaluated foam flotation as a method for recovering microplastics from sediments, addressing the dual role sediments play as both sinks and potential sources for environmental microplastic redistribution.
Advanced Techniques for Microplastic Collection, Separation, and Identification in Environmental Samples
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This chapter reviewed advanced collection, separation, and identification techniques for microplastics in environmental samples, covering methods from field sampling to spectroscopic analysis. Robust detection methodology is foundational to the entire field—without standardized, accurate measurement tools, it is impossible to reliably assess human exposure levels or evaluate the effectiveness of remediation strategies.
Comparative Analysis of Methods for Separating Microplastics from Aquatic Environments
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This study performs a comparative analysis of methods used to separate microplastics from aquatic environments, evaluating their relative effectiveness and limitations. Standardizing extraction and separation protocols is critical for producing comparable, reliable data across microplastic studies worldwide.
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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.