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Cigarette butt-derived nanocomposites: A win-win approach for microplastic removal and ecological mitigation
Summary
Researchers converted discarded cigarette butts into materials capable of removing microplastics from water, turning one form of pollution into a solution for another. The magnetic version of the cigarette-butt-derived material achieved approximately 88% removal of polystyrene microplastics from water. The study demonstrates a creative upcycling approach that simultaneously addresses two of the most common pollutants found in aquatic environments.
Microplastics (MPs) and cigarette butts are among the most widespread pollutants in aquatic environments, posing risks to both ecosystems and human health. This study presents a simple and sustainable approach to address both issues by upcycling discarded cigarette butts (DCBs) into effective materials for microplastic removal. DCBs were converted into pristine char (CBC) through pyrolysis, which was then modified to produce TiO₂-char (TCBC) and magnetic char (MCBC) nanocomposites. The materials were thoroughly characterized using FTIR, TEM, SEM-EDS, TGA, zeta potential, BET, XPS, CNS, and XRD techniques. Among the three, MCBC achieved the highest polystyrene (PS) removal efficiency at approximately (87.6 %) in deionized water, outperforming CBC (70.8 %) and TCBC (69.7 %). Adsorption data across all materials best fit the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. When tested in real-world water samples, MCBC maintained strong performance, with removal efficiencies of 54 % in seawater, 79 % in tap water, and 65 % in creek water. Reusability tests showed that MCBC retained 75 % of its removal efficiency after four cycles and 69 % after five. Isotherm analysis revealed the adsorption process followed the Temkin model (R² = 0.909–0.987), and thermodynamic studies indicated that PS adsorption was spontaneous (ΔG° < 0), endothermic (ΔH° > 0), and accompanied by an increase in entropy (ΔS° = +76.82 J/mol·K). The dominant mechanisms driving PS adsorption on MCBC were hydrophobic interactions, π–π interactions, and pore filling, with minimal influence from electrostatic forces. These findings highlight the potential of DCB-derived nanocomposites, particularly MCBC, as low-cost, sustainable adsorbents for microplastic removal that support circular economy principles. • Discarded cigarette butts (DCBs) were upcycled into cigarette butt char (CBC). • CBC was further modified to produce TiO₂-based (TCBC) and magnetic (MCBC) nanocomposites. • The nanocomposites were evaluated for polystyrene (PS) microplastic removal from water. • MCBC exhibited the highest PS removal efficiency (∼87.6 %) and reusability over five cycles. • The study offers a circular, low-cost solution for mitigating plastic pollution and cigarette waste.