Enhancing flotation separation of the aged microplastics via oxidation processes based on theoretical calculations and experiments

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.

Replicating real-world microplastics with accelerated physicochemical ageing

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Researchers developed methods to artificially age microplastics in the lab so they accurately replicate the physicochemical properties of microplastics found in real-world environments. Environmentally realistic aged microplastics are essential for generating reliable toxicology data, since fresh plastic particles behave differently than weathered ones that organisms actually encounter.

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.

Aging of microplastics and nanoplastics induced by advanced oxidation processes in wastewater treatment and their biological toxicity

Environmental microplastics and their additives—a critical review on advanced oxidative techniques for their removal

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Researchers reviewed how advanced oxidation processes — including photocatalysis and electro-Fenton methods — can break down common microplastics and their chemical additives like BPA in water, finding these techniques are more effective than traditional treatment methods but still require further study for large-scale use.