Abstract
Separation and removal of microplastic pollution from aquatic environments as a global environmental issue is classified as one of the major concerns in both water and wastewater treatment plants. Microplastics as polymeric particles less than 5 mm in at least one dimension are found with different shapes, chemical compositions, and sizes in soil, water, and sediments. Conventional treatment methods for organic separation have shown high removal efficiency for microplastics, while the separation of small microplastic particles, mainly less than 100 µm, in wastewater treatment plants is particularly challenging. This review aims to review the principle and application of different physical and chemical methods for the separation and removal of microplastic particles from aquatic environments, especially in water treatments process, with emphasis on some alternative and emerging separation methods. Advantages and disadvantages of conventional separation techniques such as clarification, sedimentation, floatation, activated sludge, sieving, filtration, and density separation are discussed. The advanced separation methods can be integrated with conventional techniques or utilize as a separate step for separating small microplastic particles. These advanced microplastic separation methods include membrane bioreactor, magnetic separation, micromachines, and degradation-based methods such as electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, biodegradation, and thermal degradation.
Highlights
Introduction to microplastic occurrence and hazardsPlastic-based materials are widely used in today's life and cause a growing threat due to releasing various forms of plastic waste such as nano, micro, and macro-plastics are releasing into the environment [1]
This review provides a critical discussion on various techniques for microplastic particles separation from aquatic environments
As reported in the literature, million tons of plastic particles of micron- and nano-size are released into the aquatic environment annually
Summary
Plastic-based materials are widely used in today's life and cause a growing threat due to releasing various forms of plastic waste such as nano-, micro-, and macro-plastics are releasing into the environment [1]. Microplastic particles (MPs) have entered directly into marine and freshwater environments, affecting habitats and animals negatively. Accordance to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), microplastic particles are defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in length. Secondary microplastics form by the fragmenting larger plastic items, caused by weathering (e.g., ultraviolet light) and during consumption or fabrication [6,7,8]. Fragmentation of polymeric waste decreases the size of plastic particles to micro- and nano-scale, which may be due to the effect of tides and waves [10]
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