Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Modelling and application of dissolved air flotation for efficient separation of microplastics from sludges and sediments

Researchers developed and tested predictive models for dissolved air flotation (DAF) — a process that uses tiny air bubbles to lift particles out of water — to more efficiently remove microplastics from industrial sludge and sediments. The models accurately predicted how different plastic types, sizes, and shapes attach to air bubbles, enabling better design of microplastic removal systems at industrial scale.

2024 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Simultaneous monitoring of flow patterns, and bubble, and plastics micro-particle characteristics in Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF)

Researchers used a lab-scale dissolved air flotation (DAF) tank to simultaneously track microbubbles and microplastic particles, finding that particle dynamics and flow regimes within the tank significantly influenced removal performance. The study offers insights for optimizing DAF water treatment systems to better capture microplastics during drinking water or wastewater processing.

2023 Process Safety and Environmental Protection 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Microplastic From Liquid Medium By Dissolved Air Flotation

Researchers tested dissolved air flotation (DAF) as a technique for removing PVC microplastics from water, conducting flotation tests with coagulant dosage optimization using a suspension of 400 mg/L PVC particles in water supply.

2024 Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental
Article Tier 2

Determinação de condições operacionais de um processo de flotação por ar dissolvido para tratamento de água

Researchers determined operational conditions for a dissolved air flotation (DAF) process for water treatment, testing how key parameters affect removal of suspended inorganic and organic matter. The study optimized DAF settings to improve water quality to levels suitable for human or industrial use, with relevance to treating waters that may contain microplastics.

2025
Article Tier 2

Numerical study on the mechanism of microplastic separation from water by cyclonic air flotation

This numerical study modeled the separation of microplastics from water using cyclone separators, optimizing design parameters and flow conditions to improve removal efficiency across different particle sizes and densities.

2024 Water Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

The removal efficiency and mechanism of microplastic enhancement by positive modification dissolved air flotation

Researchers enhanced dissolved air flotation by modifying the process with positively charged surfaces to improve microplastic removal from freshwater, finding that the modified approach significantly outperformed conventional dissolved air flotation across three common polymer types.

2020 Water Environment Research 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Micro/Nano-Plastics from Water by Flotation Technology: A Review

This review covers flotation technology as a method for removing micro- and nanoplastics from water, explaining how dissolved air flotation, electroflotation, and froth flotation work to separate plastic particles. The authors assess performance data across particle sizes and polymer types and identify remaining challenges for scaling these approaches.

2025 JORDANIAN JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING AND CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES (JJECI)
Article Tier 2

Performanceof Coagulation-Assisted Dissolved AirFlotation Process for Microplastics Removal from Synthetic WastewaterContaining Fat, Oil and Grease

Researchers optimized a coagulation-assisted dissolved air flotation (DAF) process for removing polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics from synthetic wastewater containing fat, oil, and grease, achieving removal efficiencies of 88-90% with added coagulants compared to only 27-28% for DAF alone. The presence of fat, oil, and grease further enhanced MP removal to 95%, suggesting that hydrophobic interactions facilitate aggregation between MPs and these substances.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Is froth flotation a potential scheme for microplastics removal? Analysis on flotation kinetics and surface characteristics

This study evaluated froth flotation as a method for removing microplastics from water, finding that surface hydrophobicity governs flotation efficiency and that the technique shows promise as a scalable treatment option for certain polymer types.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Model analysis of electroflotation water treatment of wastewater containing microplastics

This study developed a mathematical model describing how electroflotation can remove microplastics from wastewater, identifying key factors affecting efficiency. Better process models help optimize treatment systems for removing plastic particles before they enter waterways.

2023 Journal of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences
Article Tier 2

High-Efficiency Microplastic Sampling Device Improved Using CFD Analysis

This study used computational fluid dynamics analysis to redesign a microplastic water sampling device, improving its hydrodynamic performance and collection efficiency to address the lack of standardized sampling equipment for environmental microplastic monitoring.

2023 Sustainability 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Coupled CFD-DEM modelling to assess settlement velocity and drag coefficient of microplastics

Researchers used computational fluid dynamics coupled with particle simulations to model how the size, shape, and density of microplastics affect their settling velocity and drag in water. Accurate physical models of microplastic behavior are essential for predicting where particles accumulate in rivers, lakes, and the ocean.

2020 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Microplastics/Microfibers and Detergents from Laundry Wastewater by Microbubble Flotation

Researchers developed a microbubble flotation system that removes over 98% of microplastics and 95% of detergent surfactants from laundry wastewater. The study successfully scaled the approach from bench-level to a pilot-scale column over 5 meters tall, demonstrating a practical, cost-effective solution for treating one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution entering waterways.

2024 ACS ES&T Water 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of UV-degraded microplastics on Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) removal

Polypropylene and polystyrene microplastics subjected to 30 days of UVC irradiation showed altered surface properties and reduced removal efficiency in dissolved air flotation (DAF) water treatment, with UV-degraded microplastics presenting greater challenges for conventional water treatment processes than pristine particles.

2025 E3S Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Removal in a Dynamic Coagulation-Flocculation-Sedimentation System

Researchers compared microplastic removal during standard jar tests (batch) and continuous-flow flocculation systems, finding that flocculation mechanisms and removal efficiency differed significantly between the two setups. Conventional jar testing may overestimate microplastic removal because the flow conditions in real treatment plants are different. These findings have direct implications for designing more effective microplastic removal in full-scale water treatment facilities.

2023 TSpace
Article Tier 2

Effect of hydrocyclone size on microplastics separation: a computational fluid dynamics investigation

Researchers used computer fluid dynamics simulations to test how the size of a hydrocyclone — a cone-shaped device that uses spinning water to separate particles — affects its ability to remove microplastics from water. Smaller hydrocyclones generated stronger centrifugal forces and recovered more microplastics, though they also required more energy, revealing a trade-off that engineers must balance in real-world water treatment systems.

2025 South African Journal of Chemical Engineering
Article Tier 2

Advanced nanobubble flotation for enhanced removal of sub-10 µm microplastics from wastewater

Scientists developed a nanobubble-assisted flotation technique that improves removal of very small microplastics (under 10 micrometers) from wastewater by up to 17% compared to traditional methods. Removing these tiny particles is especially important because their small size makes them more likely to pass through water treatment and eventually be consumed by humans.

2024 Nature Communications 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimising miniaturised hydrocyclones for enhanced separation of microplastics

Researchers optimized the design of miniaturized hydrocyclones for separating small microplastics in the 5-20 micrometer range from water. Using computational fluid dynamics simulations, they identified optimal inlet geometry and flow conditions that significantly improved particle separation efficiency. The study demonstrates that mini-hydrocyclones could serve as a compact and energy-efficient technology for removing very small microplastics from water treatment systems.

2024 Chemical Engineering Journal 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of hydrocyclone design in microplastics-water separation by using computational fluid dynamics simulations

Researchers used computer fluid dynamics simulations to test and optimize the design of hydrocyclones — spinning funnel-shaped devices that use centrifugal force to separate particles from water — for removing microplastics, finding an optimized geometry that achieved 76% microplastic recovery. The results show that carefully tuning the proportions of a hydrocyclone's components can significantly improve its ability to filter microplastics from water at scale.

2024 Results in Engineering 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced removal of microplastics using microflotation

Researchers demonstrated that microflotation, a process using optimized small bubble sizes, can remove 84-98% of microplastics from water without requiring chemical additives like flocculants or coagulants. Using a pilot-scale system, they tested removal of 30 and 100 micrometer polystyrene particles across environmentally relevant concentrations. The study suggests that microflotation offers an efficient and chemical-free alternative for microplastic removal in water treatment applications.

2026 The Science of The Total Environment