Papers

Removal efficiency and adsorption mechanisms of CeO2 nanoparticles onto granular activated carbon used in drinking water treatment plants

Researchers investigated how well granular activated carbon (GAC), commonly used in drinking water treatment, can remove cerium oxide nanoparticles. The study found that GAC achieved removal efficiencies of up to 75% in natural lake water, with adsorption driven primarily by electrostatic attraction and enhanced by the presence of divalent cations and natural organic matter.

Contamination and removal efficiency of microplastics and synthetic fibres in a conventional drinking water treatment plant in Geneva, Switzerland

Researchers evaluated microplastic removal efficiency at a large drinking water treatment plant in Geneva, finding that conventional treatment processes effectively reduced microplastic and synthetic fiber concentrations from Lake Geneva source water.

Influence of Concentration, Surface Charge, and Natural Water Components on the Transport and Adsorption of Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Sand Columns

Laboratory column experiments showed that nanoplastics made of polystyrene behave very differently in groundwater depending on their surface charge — positively charged particles were retained much more readily in sand than negatively charged ones, and the presence of natural organic matter in real lake water reduced the retention of both types. These findings matter for understanding whether nanoplastics released into the environment will travel through soil and reach drinking water sources, which depends critically on the plastic's surface chemistry.

Numerical and Experimental Approach to Evaluate Microplastic Transport in Saturated Porous Media

This study used both lab experiments and computer modeling to track how microplastics move through sandy soil and water-filtration media under different flow conditions. It found that slower water flow significantly increased the trapping of microplastics in sand filters, suggesting that flow rate is a key variable to optimize when designing natural or engineered filtration systems to remove microplastics from water.

One-Dimensional Experimental Investigation of Polyethylene Microplastic Transport in a Homogeneous Saturated Medium

Researchers conducted one-dimensional column experiments to characterize the transport of polyethylene microplastics through saturated homogeneous granular media, using fluorescent tracers and inverse modeling to calculate hydrodynamic transport parameters and identify media characteristics that influence microplastic mobility in groundwater.

Understanding Microplastics Retention Efficiency and Sorption Dynamics in Porous Media

Researchers investigated the transport and retention of polydisperse microplastics (16 micrometers mean diameter) in porous sand media under varying flow rate conditions, applying first-order reversible and irreversible kinetic sorption models. Results showed that lower flow rates correlated with higher distribution coefficients and reduced mass transfer rates, providing quantitative insights into how flow conditions govern microplastic retention efficiency in filtration systems.

Transport Process of Microplastics from Terrestrial to Aquatic Environment: Evaluation of the Current Knowledge

Retention and Transport of Nanoplastics with Different Surface Functionalities in a Sand Filtration System

This study tested how well sand filtration removes nanoplastics with different surface chemistries — a key question since nanoplastics are increasingly detected in drinking water sources. Surface charge strongly influenced whether nanoplastics were retained or passed through the filter, with negatively charged particles being harder to remove.