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Removal of Microplastics from Laundry Wastewater Using Coagulation and Membrane Combination: A Laboratory-Scale
Thi Trang Luu1,2, Dai Quyet Truong1, Van Nam Nguyen2
1Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
Membranes
|February 25, 2025
Summary
Laundry wastewater contains high microplastic (MP) levels. Combining coagulation with ultrafiltration (UF) membrane filtration effectively removes MPs, significantly reducing pollution.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Water Treatment Technology
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Microplastic (MP) pollution is a critical global environmental issue.
- Laundry wastewater is a major source of MPs, with current removal methods showing poor efficiency.
- Understanding MP characteristics and removal mechanisms is crucial for effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence and characteristics of MPs in domestic laundry wastewater.
- To evaluate the combined effectiveness of coagulation and ultrafiltration (UF) membrane filtration for MP removal.
- To elucidate the mechanisms involved in MP removal during coagulation.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of microplastic occurrence and characteristics in raw laundry wastewater.
- Application of coagulation using aluminum chloride and ferric chloride.
- Integration of ultrafiltration (UF) membrane filtration post-coagulation.
- Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for mechanistic analysis.
Main Results:
- Laundry wastewater contained 9000–11,000 MPs/L, predominantly fibrous (42.6%) polyester (68.2%).
- Coagulation achieved high removal efficiencies (91.7% with AlCl3, 98.3% with FeCl3), with charge neutralization being the dominant mechanism.
- UF membrane filtration removed residual fibrous and low-density MPs with 96 ± 2% efficiency, reducing concentration to 60 particles/L.
Conclusions:
- Coagulation and UF membrane filtration exhibit synergistic effects for efficient microplastic removal from laundry wastewater.
- The study provides valuable insights into MP removal mechanisms and effective treatment strategies.
- This combined approach offers a promising solution for advancing wastewater treatment technologies to combat MP pollution.
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