Papers

20 results
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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

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

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

Microcosmic mechanism analysis of the combined pollution of aged polystyrene with humic acid and its efficient removal by a composite coagulant

Researchers analyzed how aged polystyrene interacts with humic acid at the molecular level and developed a novel polyaluminum-titanium chloride composite coagulant that effectively removes these combined pollutants from water across different pH conditions.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 6 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

Coagulation performance and mechanism of different hydrolyzed aluminum species for the removal of composite pollutants of polyethylene and humic acid

Researchers examined how different forms of hydrolyzed aluminum coagulants remove polyethylene microplastics and humic acid from water. The study found that when humic acid adsorbs onto microplastic surfaces, it changes the removal dynamics, and polyaluminum chloride with hexagonal clusters achieved the best microplastic removal through adsorption bridging and sweeping mechanisms.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Surface characteristics of polystyrene microplastics mainly determine their coagulation performances

Researchers evaluated polyaluminum sulfate coagulant for removing polystyrene microplastics from water, achieving 90.4% removal at optimal dosage. Surface characteristics of microplastics including density, particle size, and adsorbed substances significantly influenced coagulation efficiency.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Coagulation/Flocculation-Ultrafiltration Optimization in Drinking Water Treatment

This study optimized coagulation and flocculation conditions prior to ultrafiltration in drinking water treatment to better remove organic matter and reduce membrane fouling. Improved drinking water treatment also enhances the removal of microplastics that would otherwise pass through to treated tap water.

2023 TSpace
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the performance of electrocoagulation system in the removal of polystyrene microplastics from water

Researchers tested electrocoagulation, a water treatment method that uses electric current to clump particles together, for removing polystyrene microplastics from water. Using aluminum electrodes at neutral pH, they achieved over 90% removal efficiency. This technology could provide a practical and effective way to remove microplastics from drinking water and wastewater, reducing human exposure to these contaminants.

2023 Environmental Research 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Membrane fouling characteristics and mechanisms in coagulation-ultrafiltration process for treating microplastic-containing water

This study investigated how microplastics affect membrane fouling during a common water treatment process that combines coagulation with ultrafiltration. Researchers found that while microplastics initially worsen membrane fouling, adding the right amount of coagulant can actually turn the plastics into an advantage by creating a looser filter cake that improves water flow.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Chemical Coagulation Applied for the Removal of Polyethylene and Expanded Polystyrene Microplastics

Researchers evaluated the use of aluminum sulfate-based coagulation and flocculation processes for removing polyethylene and expanded polystyrene microplastics from water. The study used factorial experimental designs to optimize treatment conditions including coagulant dosage and pH, demonstrating the potential of chemical coagulation as a microplastic removal strategy.

2023 Journal of Ecological Engineering 6 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

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

New insights into the fate and interaction mechanisms of hydrolyzed aluminum-titanium species in the removal of aged polystyrene

Researchers investigated the interaction between polyaluminum-titanium chloride composite coagulant species and aged polystyrene microplastics, revealing how species transformation during coagulation affects the removal efficiency of microplastics from water.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 18 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

Fate and removal efficiency of polystyrene nanoplastics in a pilot drinking water treatment plant

Researchers investigated how effectively a pilot-scale drinking water treatment plant removes polystyrene nanoplastics. The study found that sand and activated carbon filtration alone achieved 88.1% removal, but adding a coagulation step dramatically improved removal efficiency to 99.4%, with most nanoplastics captured during the sand filtration process.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 87 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

Occurrence and removal of microplastics by advanced and conventional drinking water treatment facilities

Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence and removal efficiency at drinking water treatment plants using both conventional and advanced treatment processes. Advanced treatment steps such as ultrafiltration and activated carbon significantly improved microplastic removal compared to conventional coagulation and filtration alone.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and removal of microplastics by advanced and conventional drinking water treatment facilities

Researchers evaluated the performance of both advanced and conventional drinking water treatment processes for removing microplastics, finding that advanced methods such as ultrafiltration substantially outperform standard coagulation and filtration. Most conventional treatment plants leave a meaningful fraction of microplastics in finished drinking water.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)