Papers

20 results
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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)
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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Efficiency and mechanism of micro- and nano-plastic removal with polymeric Al-Fe bimetallic coagulants: Role of Fe addition

Researchers investigated polymeric Al-Fe bimetallic coagulants for removing micro- and nanoplastics from drinking water, finding that iron addition enhanced nanoplastic removal efficiency through improved charge neutralization and floc formation mechanisms.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 33 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

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

Coagulation of Wastewater Containing Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Microplastics by Using Ferric Chloride, Aluminum Sulfate and Aluminum Chlorohydrate: A Comparative Study

Researchers compared ferric chloride, aluminum sulfate, and aluminum chlorohydrate coagulants for removing PET microplastics from plastic recycling facility wastewater, finding that aluminum sulfate at pH 6 achieved the highest removal rate of 90% for predominantly fragment-shaped MPs in the 251-500 micrometers size range.

2024 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
Article Tier 2

Enhancement of Water Quality Parameters with Microplastics via Electrocoagulation

Researchers investigated the use of electrocoagulation to enhance water quality parameters and remove microplastics from water, comparing primary and secondary microplastic types. They found that electrocoagulation effectively reduced microplastic concentrations alongside other water quality parameters, demonstrating its potential as an integrated treatment technology for microplastic-contaminated water.

2025 Malaysian Journal on Composites Science and Manufacturing
Article Tier 2

Removal of Microplastics from Wastewater by Methods of Electrocoagulation and Adsorption

This review examines electrocoagulation and adsorption methods for removing microplastics from wastewater, comparing them against conventional physical, chemical, and biological approaches in terms of removal efficiency, cost, and practical scalability.

2025 Journal of Water Chemistry and Technology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing Microplastics Removal from Wastewater Using Electro-Coagulation and Granule-Activated Carbon with Thermal Regeneration

Combining electrocoagulation with granular activated carbon treatment significantly improved microplastic removal from wastewater compared to standard treatment, achieving removal efficiencies above 95% and offering a feasible enhancement for sewage treatment plants.

2021 Processes 88 citations
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

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

Removal of microplastics from secondary wastewater treatment plant effluent by coagulation/flocculation with iron, aluminum and polyamine-based chemicals

Researchers tested iron, aluminum, and polyamine-based coagulants for removing small microplastics (<10 µm) from secondary wastewater treatment plant effluent, finding that coagulation-flocculation can remove a substantial fraction but that efficiency varies by chemical and particle size.

2020 Water Research 340 citations