Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Enhanced removal of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics through polyaluminum chloride coagulation with three typical coagulant aids

Researchers tested three coagulant aids — polyacrylamide (PAM), sodium alginate, and activated silicic acid — combined with polyaluminum chloride to remove PET microplastics from drinking water, finding that PAM at high dosage achieved up to 91.45% removal efficiency.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 153 citations
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

Enhancing the coagulation process for the removal of microplastics from water by anionic polyacrylamide and natural-based Moringa oleifera

Scientists tested improved water treatment methods using aluminum sulfate combined with either a synthetic aid or natural Moringa oleifera seed extract to remove microplastics from water. Both combinations achieved over 80-93% removal for certain plastic types, and the natural plant-based approach cut the required chemical dose in half -- offering a more sustainable way to keep microplastics out of drinking water.

2024 Chemosphere 23 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

The influence of coagulation process conditions on theefficiency of microplastic removal in water treatment

Researchers investigated how coagulation process conditions — including coagulant type, pH, and microsand addition — affect the removal of polyethylene, PVC, and textile microfibers from river water, municipal wastewater, laundry effluent, and synthetic matrices. Ferric chloride and polyaluminum chloride both achieved substantial removal, with performance varying significantly by water matrix and microplastic type.

2025 National Repository of Dissertations in Serbia
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics removal from aquatic environment by coagulation: Selecting the best coagulant based on variables determined from a systematic review

This systematic review and experimental study identifies the most effective methods for removing microplastics from water using coagulation, a common water treatment technique. Researchers tested different coagulants on three types of microplastics and found that aluminum-based coagulants were most effective. These findings could help water treatment plants better remove microplastics from the water supply before it reaches our taps.

2023 Heliyon 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Improving nanoplastic removal by coagulation: Impact mechanism of particle size and water chemical conditions

Researchers found that coagulation using aluminum chlorohydrate and polyacrylamide achieved up to 98.5% removal efficiency for polystyrene nanoplastics, with smaller particles being easier to remove, though humic acid in water competed for adsorption sites and reduced effectiveness.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing the remediation of polyamide microplastics: A comparative study of natural and synthetic coagulants

Researchers compared natural plant-based coagulants with the synthetic coagulant alum for removing polyamide microplastics from water. They found that alum was more effective overall, removing up to 94% of microplastics, while the natural coagulants achieved moderate removal rates and worked best with larger particles. The study suggests that coagulation-based water treatment can meaningfully reduce microplastic contamination, with natural alternatives offering a more sustainable option.

2025 Frontiers in Environmental Science 4 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

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

Removal of Microplastics from Wastewater Treatment Plants by Coagulation

Researchers tested coagulation-based methods for removing microplastics from wastewater using polyaluminum chloride and polyferric sulfate, with and without polyacrylamide additives. The best results came from combining polyaluminum chloride with cationic polyacrylamide, which achieved 87.5% removal of polystyrene microplastics. The study suggests that cationic polyacrylamide works especially well because of electrostatic interactions with negatively charged microplastic particles.

2026 Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and nanoplastics in water: Improving removal in wastewater treatment plants with alternative coagulants

Laboratory tests showed that conventional aluminum sulfate (alum) coagulant becomes much less effective at removing micro- and nanoplastics from water at pH above 7.8—a common condition in municipal wastewater—but switching to aluminum chlorohydrate largely restores removal efficiency. This matters because wastewater treatment plants are a critical barrier preventing microplastics from entering rivers and oceans, and many currently use alum. The study gives water utilities a practical, drop-in solution to significantly improve microplastic capture under challenging water chemistry.

2026 The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering
Article Tier 2

Elimination of a Mixture of Microplastics Using Conventional and Detergent-Assisted Coagulation

Researchers tested coagulation as a method to remove microplastics from tap water, evaluating how microplastic type (PE and PVC), water pH, coagulant dose, and microplastic concentration affect removal efficiency, and finding that detergent-assisted coagulation improves performance.

2023 Materials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of Different Coagulants on Microplastics Removal

Researchers compared the effectiveness of different coagulants—including aluminum sulfate, ferric chloride, and polyaluminum chloride—for removing microplastics from water, finding significant performance differences dependent on plastic particle size, charge, and coagulant dose.

2025 The Knowledge Bank (The Ohio State University)
Article Tier 2

Optimization of polypropylene microplastics removal using conventional coagulants in drinking water treatment plants via response surface methodology

Researchers optimized coagulation of polypropylene microplastics from drinking water using polyaluminium chloride as coagulant and response surface methodology to identify optimal conditions. The maximum predicted removal rate under optimal conditions (pH 9, 200 ppm PACl, 21 ppm polyacrylamide) was approximately 19.7% for the smallest microplastic size tested, indicating that conventional coagulation alone has limited effectiveness for polypropylene microplastics.

2022 Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering 19 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

Sustainable Removal of Microplastics and Natural Organic Matter from Water by Coagulation–Flocculation with Protein Amyloid Fibrils

Researchers developed a novel water treatment method using protein-based amyloid fibrils as a natural flocculant to remove microplastics and dissolved organic matter from water. The method achieved removal efficiencies above 97% for both microplastic particles and humic acid, outperforming conventional chemical flocculants at the same dosage. The approach offers a sustainable, biodegradable alternative to traditional water treatment chemicals for addressing microplastic contamination.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 160 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and nanoplastics in water: Improving removal in wastewater treatment plants with alternative coagulants

Conventional water treatment plants that use alum as a coagulant become significantly less effective at removing microplastics and nanoplastics as water pH rises above 7.8, which is common in municipal wastewater. Switching to alternative coagulants — particularly aluminum chlorohydrate and cationic polyamine blends — maintained high removal rates at elevated pH, with nanoplastic removal reaching 71% and microfiber removal staying above 95%. The findings offer practical guidance for upgrading treatment plants to better capture plastic particles before they are discharged into waterways.

2024 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The suitability and mechanism of polyaluminum-titanium chloride composite coagulant (PATC) for polystyrene microplastic removal: Structural characterization and theoretical calculation

Researchers developed a new coagulant (a chemical that clumps particles together for removal) that effectively removes polystyrene microplastics from water. The composite coagulant worked better than standard water treatment chemicals across a wider range of water conditions, using hydrogen bonding to capture the plastic particles. This technology could improve drinking water treatment plants' ability to filter out microplastics before water reaches consumers.

2023 Water Research 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Coagulative removal of microplastics from aqueous matrices: Recent progresses and future perspectives

This review examines how coagulation, a common water treatment technique, can be used to remove microplastics from water. Researchers compared the effectiveness of different coagulants, finding that natural options like chitosan and protein-based coagulants achieved removal rates above 90 percent. The study highlights the promise of natural coagulants as a more sustainable approach to tackling microplastic contamination in water treatment systems.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 71 citations