Recent innovations in microplastics and nanoplastics removal by coagulation technique: Implementations, knowledge gaps and prospects

Imran Ali; Xiao Tan; Yue Xie; Changsheng Peng; Juying Li; Iffat Naz; Zhipeng Duan; Peng Wan; Jiang Huang; Jia Liang; Zhu Rui; Yinlan Ruan

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2023.120617

Recent innovations in microplastics and nanoplastics removal by coagulation technique: Implementations, knowledge gaps and prospects

Water Res. 2023 Oct 15:245:120617. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120617. Epub 2023 Sep 10.

Authors

Imran Ali¹, Xiao Tan², Yue Xie³, Changsheng Peng⁴, Juying Li⁵, Iffat Naz⁶, Zhipeng Duan¹, Peng Wan⁷, Jiang Huang¹, Jia Liang¹, Zhu Rui¹, Yinlan Ruan⁸

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China.
² Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; Anhui Province Agricultural Waste Fertilizer Utilization and Cultivated Land Quality Improvement Engineering Research Center, Chuzhou 233100, China. Electronic address: hhualgae@163.com.
³ Anhui Province Agricultural Waste Fertilizer Utilization and Cultivated Land Quality Improvement Engineering Research Center, Chuzhou 233100, China.
⁴ School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu 241000, China; School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing 526061, China.
⁵ College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
⁶ Department of Biology, Deanship of Educational Services, Qassim University, Buraidah 51452, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Shenzhen Water Planning & Design Institute Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518001, China; Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Water Affairs Big Data and Water Ecology, Shenzhen 518001, China.
⁸ Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.

PMID: 37738942
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120617

Abstract

Recently, microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) contamination is a worldwide problem owing to the immense usage of plastic commodities. Thus, the environmental risks by MPs and NPs demand the application of innovative, efficient, and sustainable technologies to control the pollution of plastic particles. Regarding this, numerous technologies, including adsorption, coagulation, filtration, bioremediation, chemical precipitation, and photocatalysis, have been engaged to eradicate MPs and NPs from contaminated waters. However, the coagulation technique is getting much attention owing to its simplicity, higher removal performance, low carbon footprint, and low operational and maintenance cost. Therefore, this paper has been designed to critically summarize the recent innovations on the application of coagulation process to eradicate MPs and NPs from both synthetic and real sewage. More importantly, the effect of pertinent factors, including characteristics of coagulants, MPs/NPs, and environmental medium on the elimination performances and mechanisms of MPs/NPs have been critically investigated. Further, the potential of coagulation technology in eliminating MPs and NPs from real sewage has been critically elucidated for the first time, for better execution of this technique at commercial levels. Finally, this critical review also presents current research gaps and future outlooks for the improvement of coagulation process for eradicating MPs and NPs from water and real sewage. Overall, the current review will offer valuable knowledge to scientists in selecting a suitable technique for controlling plastic pollution.

Keywords: Coagulation; Factors; Microplastics and nanoplastics; Performance; Real sewage applications.

Publication types

Review