Electrocoagulation applied for the removal of microplastics from wastewater treatment facilities

This study evaluated the efficacy of electrocoagulation methods for the removal of microplastics using both synthetic solutions and wastewater samples. The experiments were performed with commercial polyester microplastic in batch reactors. Current density (1.92-8.07 mA/cm(2)), pH (2-7), micmplastic size range (25-1500 mu m), and electrolysis time (0-90 min) were the variables used to assess the process. When using synthetic solutions with pH values of 4 and 7 and current densities of 2.88 and 8.07 mA/cm(2), the micmplastic removal efficiency was at least 99% in all cases. Measurement of Particle Image velocity (PIV) and analysis of Scanning Electron Cryomicroscopy (Cryo-SEM) were used as monitoring tools for tracking the activity of the hydrogen gas bubbles. The lowest estimated operational costs were obtained by using a current density of 2.88 mA/cm(2) and an initial pH of 4. Using real wastewater samples, the removal efficiency of microplastics was 96.5%. In addition, 92.2% of COD and 88.8% of thermotolerant coliform colonies were removed. The results of the study showed that electrocoagulation effectively can remove microplastics from wastewater streams at low operational costs while simultaneously reducing both COD and thermotolerant coliforms.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the efficacy of electrocoagulation methods for the removal of microplastics from synthetic solutions and wastewater samples. The results showed high removal efficiency in both cases, with reduced operational costs and simultaneous reduction of COD and thermotolerant coliform colonies.