Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Microplastic removal in batch and dynamic coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation systems is controlled by floc size

This study found that microplastic removal during water treatment is strongly controlled by coagulant dosage and operating conditions, with sweep flocculation at higher dosages achieving much better removal than charge-neutralization regimes used at lower dosages.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 20 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 removal in coagulation-flocculation: Optimization through chemometric and morphological insights

Researchers optimized the coagulation-flocculation process — a standard water treatment step where chemicals cause particles to clump and settle — for removing three types of microplastics: polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene. Polystyrene was removed most efficiently, and adjusting pH, coagulant type, and dosage significantly improved removal rates, providing practical guidance for upgrading existing water treatment plants to better capture microplastics.

2026 Journal of Ecological Engineering
Article Tier 2

Size and Shape Distribution of Microplastics in PET Recycled Wastewater and Their Removal Behavior during the Coagulation–Flocculation Process

Researchers investigated the size and shape distribution of microplastics in wastewater from a PET recycling facility and evaluated removal efficiency through coagulation-flocculation, finding that fragment-shaped and medium-sized particles were most abundant and most effectively removed. The study demonstrates that coagulation-flocculation is a strong candidate for controlling microplastic release from plastic recycling facilities.

2025 Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Management (JES-TM)
Article Tier 2

Comparative Removal Efficiency of Polypropylene Microplastics from Aqueous Solutions by Filtration, Centrifugation, and Flocculation

Researchers compared three methods (filtration, centrifugation, and flocculation) for removing polypropylene microplastics from laboratory water samples, evaluating removal efficiency and practicality for use as a foundation for standardized environmental water treatment protocols.

2025 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating theEfficiency of Enhanced Coagulationfor Nanoplastics Removal Using Flow Cytometry

Researchers evaluated the efficiency of enhanced coagulation for removing nanoplastics from water using flow cytometry as a quantification tool, addressing the interconnected challenges of nanoplastic removal and detection in conventional water treatment systems.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Mathematical modeling of water flocculation process with high turbidity: studies and comparative analysis between methods and models

This study compared mathematical models for predicting flocculation kinetics in water treatment, an important process for removing suspended particles including microplastics. More accurate flocculation models help optimize water treatment efficiency and reduce the microplastic particles that pass through conventional treatment into drinking water.

2023 Ambiente e Agua - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Coagulation and Flocculation before Primary Clarification as Efficient Solutions for Low-Density Microplastic Removal from Wastewater

Researchers tested coagulation and flocculation treatments before primary clarification in a wastewater treatment plant, finding up to 90% removal efficiency for low-density microplastics using PAX coagulant, with different reagents directing microplastics to either settled or floated sludge fractions.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 28 citations
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
Article Tier 2

Impact of coagulation characteristics on the aggregation of microplastics in upper-ocean turbulence

This study investigated how coagulation conditions affect microplastic aggregation in water treatment, finding that coagulant type and dose significantly influence floc formation with plastic particles and ultimately removal efficiency.

2024 Advances in Water Resources 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics removal through water treatment plants: Its feasibility, efficiency, future prospects and enhancement by proper waste management

Researchers reviewed over 80 studies on water treatment plant performance and found microplastic removal ranges widely — from 16% in basic primary treatment up to near 100% with advanced membrane systems — but a major flaw is that removed microplastics concentrate in sludge, which can re-enter the environment. The review recommends optimizing coagulants and sludge treatment to prevent microplastics from simply being relocated rather than eliminated.

2021 Environmental Challenges 181 citations
Article Tier 2

Treatment technologies for the removal of micro plastics from aqueous medium

Researchers reviewed treatment technologies for removing microplastics from water, finding that while multiple methods including filtration, membrane processes, and coagulation show promise, their effectiveness depends on microplastic size, type, and concentration.

2022 AIP conference proceedings 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effects of Microplastics on Floc Formation, Nutrient Removal and Settleability in Wastewater Treatment

Researchers investigated how microplastics affect floc formation, nutrient removal, and settleability in wastewater treatment systems, examining the mechanisms by which these ubiquitous anthropogenic pollutants entering via packaging, cosmetics, and other production sectors disrupt activated sludge processes.

2024
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the Efficiency of Enhanced Coagulation for Nanoplastics Removal Using Flow Cytometry

Flow cytometry was used to quantify fluorescently labeled nanoplastics removal during enhanced coagulation-flocculation water treatment, demonstrating that this technique enables accurate detection and process optimization for nanoplastic removal in drinking water treatment.

2025 ACS ES&T Water 3 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

Removal efficiency of 0.3 to 4 millimeters microplastics in raw water via coagulation and flocculation process

This study tested how effectively a conventional coagulation and flocculation water treatment process could remove microplastics in the 0.3–4 mm size range from raw water. The treatment achieved meaningful removal rates, suggesting that existing drinking water infrastructure can provide some protection against microplastic contamination.

2019
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

Quantitively Analyzing the Variation of Micrometer-Sized Microplastic during Water Treatment with the Flow Cytometry-Fluorescent Beads Method

Researchers developed a flow cytometry-fluorescent bead method for quantitatively measuring the removal of micrometer-sized microplastics during water treatment processes, demonstrating a rapid and reliable analytical approach for evaluating treatment plant efficiency.

2021 ACS ES&T Engineering 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic removal by coagulation: a review of optimizing the reaction conditions and mechanisms

This review examines recent advances in using coagulation to remove microplastics from water and wastewater, analyzing how factors like coagulant type, dosage, pH, and particle shape affect removal efficiency. Researchers found that optimizing these reaction conditions is critical for maximizing microplastic removal while reducing energy costs. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps in understanding the mechanisms behind coagulation-based microplastic removal and calls for more extensive research.

2023 Water Emerging Contaminants & Nanoplastics 47 citations
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive review of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants

This review surveys microplastic removal technologies used in wastewater treatment plants, comparing membrane bioreactors, electrocoagulation, coagulation-sedimentation, and biodegradation approaches. Understanding removal efficiency at treatment plants is critical because they are a primary pathway by which microplastics — and the toxic chemicals they carry — reach rivers, coastal waters, and ultimately drinking water supplies.

2024 BIO Web of Conferences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the continuous biofilm reactor: Occurrence, fate, and removal

A laboratory-scale continuous biofilm reactor was monitored for microplastic occurrence, fate, and removal over 53 days. Microplastics were detected at all stages of the reactor and were partially retained within the biofilm. The study shows that biofilm reactors can reduce microplastic concentrations in treated water but do not eliminate them entirely.

2022 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Filtration Methods for Microplastic Removal in Wastewater Streams — A Review

This review surveys filtration, membrane, coagulation, and biological methods for removing microplastics from wastewater, concluding that membrane bioreactors and dynamic membranes are among the most effective current technologies. The paper provides a useful comparative overview for engineers and policymakers seeking cost-effective solutions to prevent microplastics from passing through treatment plants into waterways.

2023 International Journal of High Speed Electronics and Systems 6 citations
Article Tier 2

The removal of microplastics from water by coagulation: A comprehensive review

This review comprehensively examined coagulation as a technology for removing microplastics from drinking water and wastewater treatment plants, analyzing the mechanisms, influencing factors, and effectiveness of different coagulants for microplastic removal.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 151 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of wastewater treatment process on pollution characteristics and fate of microplastics

Researchers investigated microplastic abundance and removal efficiency across four wastewater treatment plants using different treatment technologies, finding influent concentrations between 539 and 1,290 particles per liter that were reduced substantially by primary and secondary treatment. Smaller microplastic particles proved hardest to remove and most likely to persist in final effluent.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 45 citations