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Selected unit processes in microplastics removal from water and wastewater
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Scientists tested how well common water treatment methods remove tiny plastic particles (microplastics) from water, and found that simple settling doesn't work well, most plastic bits just float. However, adding chemicals to clump particles together (a process called coagulation) removed up to 89% of certain plastic fibers, though it barely touched PVC particles, and oil in the water actually helped trap some plastics. This matters because it shows our current water treatment plants may let significant amounts of microplastics slip through into drinking water, and points to specific improvements, like better handling of oily wastewater, that could help keep more plastic out of the water we drink.
The objective of the research study was to evaluate removal efficiencies of polyester fibers, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) granules, acetonitrile-polyester fibers, polypropylene fibers, foil fragments, and personal care products fragments during sedimentation and coagulation under laboratory conditions. The effect of oil and cellulose fibers presence was also evaluated. Most of the microplastics used during the studies did not settle down under the gravity force. Only a small part of polyester fibers (about 6%) settled down during 2 h of the experiment. Oil presence in samples had an important effect on the behavior of all kinds of microplastics particles. Oil spots have trapped microplastics fibers, powder, and fragments. The presence of cellulose fibers in the water had no significant effect on microplastics removal. The slightly higher removal efficiency was observed when the cellulose fibers were soaked with oil. The coagulation process was effective in the removal of two kinds of microplastic particles: polyester fibers (84%-89% removal efficiency) and PVC powder (20% removal efficiency). The main parameter which affected coagulation was the presence of oils. In the presence of oil huge part of microplastics was trapped in the spots and did not undergo coagulation.
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This review of existing research found that a common water treatment method called coagulation (where chemicals help clump particles together so they can be removed) works well at filtering out microplastics from drinking water and wastewater. The treatment is especially good at removing larger microplastic pieces, but struggles with the tiniest ones under 10 micrometers. This matters because microplastics are showing up everywhere in our water supply, and this research suggests we already have proven technology that could help reduce our exposure to these plastic particles.
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This review evaluates various water and wastewater treatment technologies for their ability to remove microplastics, including filtration, coagulation, and advanced oxidation methods. The authors found that while conventional treatment plants can remove a large percentage of microplastics, significant quantities still pass through into treated water. The study calls for combining multiple treatment steps and developing new technologies specifically designed to capture micro- and nanoplastic particles.
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