We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Effects of polystyrene microplastics on the breakthrough behavior of dissolved organic matter in carbon filtration column
Summary
Polystyrene microplastics can interfere with the performance of activated carbon water filters — a widely used step in drinking water treatment. This study found that when microplastics are present, they compete with humic acid (a natural organic compound) for adsorption sites on the carbon, causing more humic acid to pass through the filter — which in turn can increase formation of harmful disinfection byproducts when the water is subsequently chlorinated. The effect changes when microplastics have been weathered by UV light, making the interactions in real-world water treatment even more complex than previously understood.
The breakthrough of dissolved organic matter such as humic acid (HA) during water filtration processes is a critical factor contributing to the formation of disinfection by-products. The presence of emerging pollutants, such as microplastics, may influence this process. This study investigates the impact of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on the breakthrough of HA in granular activated carbon (GAC) columns. The presence of PS-MPs, along with their abundance and UV aging, significantly affects HA's breakthrough. Higher abundance of PS-MPs enhances HA's breakthrough by occupying adsorption sites on GAC, while UV-aged PS-MPs, due to increased hydrophilicity and surface roughness, reduces the promoting effect of PS-MPs on HA breakthrough. Orthogonal experiment revealed that flow rate, HA concentration, ionic strength, and abundance of PS-MPs influence HA's breakthrough, with flow rate being the most significant factor. Zeta potential and hydrodynamic diameter analyses showed that UV-aged PS-MPs, with more negative charges and smaller sizes, had a higher tendency to penetrate GAC, freeing up adsorption sites for HA. A backpropagation (BP) neural network model was trained to predict HA removal and optimization using a genetic algorithm (GA) further improved prediction accuracy. This study provides insights into PS-MPs & HA interactions and presents a reliable tool for predicting GAC filter performance in the presence of PS-MPs. • The effects of PS-MPs on HA breakthrough in GAC filtration were investigated • Original PS-MPs facilitated HA breakthrough • UV aging reduces the promoting effect of PS-MPs on HA breakthrough • Established BP and GA-BP neural network prediction models for HA breakthrough • HA removal affected by: flow rate > concentration > ionic strength > PS-MPs abundance
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Impact of non-aged and UV-aged microplastics on the formation of halogenated disinfection byproducts during chlorination of drinking water and its mechanism
Researchers investigated how both new and UV-aged microplastics affect the formation of halogenated disinfection byproducts during chlorine treatment of drinking water. They found that non-aged microplastics reduced byproduct formation by adsorbing organic precursors, while UV-aged microplastics had a much smaller reduction effect because they release organic compounds that offset adsorption. The study reveals that environmental aging of microplastics changes their impact on drinking water treatment chemistry in important ways.
Aging of polystyrene microplastics by UV/Sodium percarbonate oxidation: Organic release, mechanism, and disinfection by-product formation
Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics break down under UV-activated sodium percarbonate oxidation, an advanced water treatment process. The study found that this treatment significantly accelerated microplastic aging and fragmentation while releasing dissolved organic matter that could serve as a precursor for disinfection byproducts during chlorination. Evidence indicates that water treatment processes may inadvertently generate secondary contaminants from microplastic degradation.
The fate of microplastics and organic matter leaching behavior during chlorination
Researchers studied how chlorination affects polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics and the organic matter they release, finding that chlorination promoted organic carbon leaching from microplastics at about 0.3 to 0.5 parts per thousand of the plastic mass. The leached organic matter showed significant potential to form trihalomethane and haloacetonitrile disinfection byproducts, raising concerns about chlorinated microplastics in drinking water systems.
UV aging of microplastic polymers promotes their chemical transformation and byproduct formation upon chlorination
Researchers studied how UV aging of different microplastic polymers affects their behavior during water chlorination treatment. They found that UV aging significantly increased the reactivity of polyamide and polyester microplastics, promoting the release of harmful organic compounds and the formation of disinfection byproducts by more than 10-fold. The study reveals that weathered microplastics in drinking water systems may generate more toxic byproducts during standard chlorination than their pristine counterparts.
Exploring the mechanisms of humic acid mediated degradation of polystyrene microplastics under ultraviolet light conditions
Humic acid in water promoted the photodegradation of polystyrene microplastics under UV light by generating higher levels of hydroxyl radicals (0.631 mM), resulting in 4.3% greater weight loss, smaller average particle size (89.5 microns), and more oxygen-containing products compared to UV alone.