Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Behaviour of M. aeruginosa–Microplastic composite pollutants in coagulation and sludge storage

Microcystis aeruginosa extracellular polymers promoted adhesion of microplastics to algal flocs during coagulation, improving MP removal efficiency with polyaluminum chloride, while microplastics had opposite effects on algal removal depending on whether inorganic or organic coagulants were used.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics using PAC and FeCl3 coagulation: Performance and mechanism

Researchers studied how two common water treatment coagulants, PAC and iron chloride, remove polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics from water. They found that PAC was more effective than iron chloride, and that alkaline conditions improved removal rates. The study provides practical insights for drinking water treatment plants looking to reduce microplastic contamination in their supply.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 303 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic fouling mitigation of co-contaminants of ultrafine microplastics and organics in seawater pretreatment using ferrous iron/peracetic acid

Researchers developed an advanced coagulation method using ferrous iron and peracetic acid to remove ultrafine microplastics and algal organic matter from seawater during desalination pretreatment. The new system achieved 84% turbidity removal, far surpassing conventional ferrous iron treatment at 19%, by forming larger and denser particle clusters. The study demonstrates that this approach could address the growing challenge of microplastic-organic co-contamination in seawater treatment.

2025 Water Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive effects of microplastics on algae-laden surface water treatment by coagulation-ultrafiltration combined process: Algae cultivation, coagulation performance and membrane fouling development

Researchers studied how microplastics affect the treatment of algae-contaminated drinking water using a combined filtration process. They found that microplastics initially stimulated algae growth by 58% but then suppressed the algae's release of organic compounds, and the plastics actually helped form larger clumps during water treatment. While microplastics complicated the treatment process in some ways, understanding these interactions is important for ensuring drinking water plants can effectively remove both algae and microplastics.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating the Potential of Coagulants to Improve Microplastics Removal in Wastewater and Tap Water

Researchers found that adding coagulants (FeCl3 or Al2(SO4)3) to wastewater and tap water improved microplastic removal, with aluminum sulfate achieving 43% and 62% removal efficiencies respectively, though the high concentrations required suggest that combining coagulants with organic polyelectrolytes could improve practicality.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Microplastics removal from natural surface water by coagulation process

Researchers compared the effectiveness of ferrous and aluminum sulfate coagulants for removing microplastics from natural surface water, finding that both successfully removed polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride particles. Ferrous sulfate showed slightly higher removal efficiency, and the addition of coagulant aids further improved results. The study demonstrates that conventional coagulation processes already used in drinking water treatment can meaningfully reduce microplastic contamination.

2024 Desalination and Water Treatment 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics benefit bacteria colonization and induce microcystin degradation

Polystyrene microplastics in a microcosm experiment facilitated bacterial colonization and promoted the degradation of the cyanobacterial toxin microcystin, with the plastisphere community showing distinct metabolic activity compared to free-living bacteria. The study reveals that microplastic biofilms can unexpectedly accelerate detoxification of co-occurring harmful algal bloom toxins.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Effective Removal of Microplastics Using a Process of Ozonation Followed by Flocculation with Aluminum Sulfate and Polyacrylamide

Researchers tested a two-step water treatment process combining ozonation with flocculation to remove microplastics. They found that ozone pretreatment roughened the microplastic surfaces and added chemical groups that dramatically improved removal rates, from 40% to 91%, during the subsequent flocculation step. The findings suggest this combined approach could significantly enhance microplastic removal in conventional water treatment plants.

2025 Separations 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing microplastic removal from natural water using coagulant aids

Researchers tested different chemical treatments for removing microplastic beads from natural water and found that polyaluminium chloride combined with polyacrylamide achieved over 95% removal across six common plastic types. The treatment worked on particles ranging from 10 to 1,000 micrometers, and natural organic matter in the water actually improved performance. The findings suggest that optimizing standard water treatment processes could be a practical way to reduce microplastic contamination in drinking water sources.

2024 Chemosphere 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal characteristics of microplastics by Fe-based coagulants during drinking water treatment

The removal of polyethylene microplastics from drinking water was tested with Fe-based coagulants under various conditions, finding that traditional coagulation alone achieved below 15% removal, while coagulation combined with ultrafiltration substantially improved performance. The study identifies the limitations of conventional water treatment for microplastic removal and highlights ultrafiltration as a necessary add-on for effective particle reduction.

2018 Journal of Environmental Sciences 446 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and combined effects of microplastics and lead on the freshwater algae Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers tested the individual and combined effects of microplastics and lead (Pb) on the growth, photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant responses of the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. They found that microplastics alone inhibited growth while low-dose Pb promoted it, but their combination altered toxicity outcomes in complex ways depending on concentration, indicating that co-exposure risks in freshwater cannot be predicted from single-contaminant studies.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced removal of polyethylene microplastics from water through polymeric ferric sulfate with laminarin

Researchers developed an enhanced coagulation technique using polymeric ferric sulfate combined with laminarin, a seaweed-derived compound, to remove polyethylene microplastics from water. The combined approach achieved a 93.8% removal rate compared to only 48.5% with the coagulant alone, by significantly boosting charge neutralization and adsorption bridging mechanisms. The study demonstrates that natural coagulant aids can substantially improve the effectiveness of microplastic removal during water treatment.

2024 Process Safety and Environmental Protection 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient removal of microplastics through a combined treatment process: Pre-filtration and adsorption

A combined treatment process integrating coagulation, sedimentation, and filtration achieved efficient removal of microplastics from drinking water. The study supports the feasibility of adapting existing water treatment infrastructure to address microplastic contamination.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced Removal of Polystyrene Microplastics from Water Through Coagulation Using Polyaluminum Ferric Chloride with Coagulant Aids

Researchers tested enhanced coagulation using modified coagulants to remove polystyrene microplastics from water, finding that surface-modified coagulants achieved significantly higher removal efficiencies than conventional alum. Removal reached over 90% under optimized conditions, demonstrating a practical upgrade pathway for conventional water treatment plants to reduce microplastic discharge.

2024 Environmental Engineering Science 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive Effects of Polyethylene Microplastics and Cadmium on Growth of Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers examined what happens when polyethylene microplastics and the heavy metal cadmium are both present in freshwater, focusing on their effects on a bloom-forming algae species. Evidence indicates that the combination caused greater stress on the algae than either pollutant alone, though microplastics partially reduced cadmium toxicity by adsorbing some of the metal.

2024 Toxics 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing nano and microplastics destabilization: Synergistic effects of natural mucin and conventional coagulants in water and wastewater treatment

Researchers investigated whether combining jellyfish mucus with conventional water treatment coagulants could improve removal of micro- and nanoplastics from water. The synergistic combination achieved over 90% removal efficiency with settling times under 5 minutes, outperforming either agent alone by leveraging bridging and entrapment mechanisms.

2025 Environmental Technology & Innovation 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding and Improving Microplastic Removal during Water Treatment: Impact of Coagulation and Flocculation

Researchers systematically tested coagulation and flocculation for removing microplastics from drinking water, finding that removal efficiency depended strongly on plastic particle size and whether particles had been weathered, with smaller pristine particles being the hardest to remove.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 424 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Toxicity and Water Treatment Methods

This review assesses the current state of microplastic contamination, examining pathways of environmental entry and interactions with living organisms, and analyzes existing water treatment methods -- including filtration, coagulation, and advanced oxidation -- considered most promising for partial or complete microplastic removal.

2022 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Coagulation technologies for separation of microplastics in water: current status

This review examines how coagulation water treatment technologies can remove microplastics from water. Conventional coagulation achieves 8-98% removal efficiency while electrocoagulation achieves 8-99%, depending on conditions, offering a potentially effective approach for reducing microplastics in drinking water and wastewater.

2023 Journal of Physics Conference Series
Article Tier 2

Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide on Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa in the Presence of Nanoplastics

Researchers found that nanoplastic contamination altered the effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide as a control measure for cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms, with the combined stressor effects depending on temperature and light conditions in a high-throughput multistressor experiment.

2021 ACS ES&T Water 32 citations