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Particle Characterization of Washing Process Effluents by Laser Diffraction Technique
Mirjana Čurlin1, Tanja Pušić2, Branka Vojnović2
1Faculty of Food Technology and Biotehnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 24, 2021
Summary
Washing processes release polymer microfibers into aquatic environments. Laser diffraction effectively characterizes these complex pollution particles in wastewater.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Materials Science
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Polymer microfibers from washing are a major pollutant in aquatic ecosystems.
- Characterizing these microfibers in complex wastewater is challenging.
- This pollution impacts water, sediment, and organisms globally.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize polymer particles in washing effluents.
- To assess the suitability of laser diffraction for this analysis.
- To understand the relationships between parameters in the effluent dispersion system.
Main Methods:
- Applied laser diffraction to analyze particles in cotton-polyester washing effluents.
- Utilized multivariate statistical analysis to examine parameter interrelationships.
Main Results:
- Laser diffraction is a suitable technique for characterizing composite effluent samples.
- Multivariate analysis confirmed interrelationships within the complex dispersion system.
- Identified polymer particles from natural and synthetic fibers as dominant pollutants.
Conclusions:
- Laser diffraction is a viable method for quantifying microplastic pollution from textiles.
- Understanding effluent composition is crucial for mitigating aquatic pollution.
- Further research can refine methods for managing textile-derived microplastic pollution.
