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Study on the Extraction Method of Microplastic System in Textile Wastewater
Jiachen Li1, Yuanyuan Liu1, Yingxi Gao1
1School of Materials Design and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
Polymers
|March 29, 2023
Summary
This study optimized methods for detecting textile microplastics in industrial wastewater. Fenton's reagent and zinc chloride solution proved effective for digestion and separation, respectively.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Microplastic pollution is a global concern, with textile microplastics being a significant but understudied component.
- Industrial environments, particularly printing and dyeing facilities, are potential sources of textile microplastic release.
- Standardized methods for textile microplastic detection and quantification are lacking, hindering risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically evaluate pretreatment methods for extracting microplastics from printing and dyeing wastewater.
- To compare the efficacy of different reagents for organic matter removal and microplastic separation.
- To assess the impact of digestion treatments on the physicochemical properties of common textile microplastics.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of potassium hydroxide, nitric acid-hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and Fenton's reagent for organic matter removal.
- Characterization of the effects of digestion on polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, and polyurethane microplastics.
- Evaluation of sodium chloride, zinc chloride, sodium bromide, sodium iodide, and mixed solutions for microplastic density separation.
Main Results:
- Fenton's reagent achieved a 78% organic matter removal rate with minimal impact on microplastic properties.
- Zinc chloride solution demonstrated a 90% recovery rate for textile microplastic separation with good reproducibility.
- The chosen methods did not negatively affect subsequent characterization analyses.
Conclusions:
- Fenton's reagent is recommended for digesting organic matter in textile wastewater due to its high efficiency and low impact on microplastics.
- Zinc chloride solution is identified as the optimal reagent for density separation of textile microplastics, ensuring accurate analysis.
- The developed methods provide a standardized approach for microplastic analysis in industrial wastewater, aiding environmental risk assessment.
