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Efficient microplastics extraction from sand. A cost effective methodology based on sodium iodide recycling
Marine Pollution Bulletin2016
84 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 35
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Researchers developed a more cost-effective method for extracting microplastics from beach sand by recycling the sodium iodide (NaI) solutions used in the separation process. After 10 recycling cycles, solutions lost only 35.9% of their mass while maintaining the density needed for plastic extraction, making beach microplastic monitoring significantly cheaper.
Evaluating the microplastics pollution on the shores requires overcoming the technological and economical challenge of efficient plastic extraction from sand. The recovery of dense microplastics requires the use of NaI solutions, a costly process. The aim of this study is to decrease this cost by recycling the NaI solutions and to determine the impact of NaI storage. For studying the NaI recyclability, the solution density and the salt mass have been monitored during ten life cycles. Density, pH and salt mass have been measured for 40days to assess the storage effect. The results show that NaI solutions are recyclable without any density alterations with a total loss of 35.9% after the 10cycles of use. During storage, chemical reactions may appear but are reversible. Consequently, the use of recycling methods allows for a significant cost reduction. How far the plastic extraction by dense solutions is representative is discussed.