Simple but effective: minimizing microplastics from landfill leachate utilizing unmodified commercial melamine foam

Microplastic (MP) pollution had become a global threat to ecosystems, yet current remediation strategies were limited by complex preparation processes and high costs, hindering their scalability. This study demonstrated a scalable solution by repurposing commercially melamine foam (MF), an industrially manufactured and low-cost material, for in-situ MP capture in aquatic systems. The MF exhibited rapid (<5 min) and high-efficiency (91-97%) adsorption of various MPs, including polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polylactic acid (PLA), under flowing water conditions. Mechanistic studies suggested that hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions dominated the adsorption process. The MF exhibited exceptional reusability, maintaining >95% adsorption efficiency over 20 reuse cycles, and the recovered MF/MP composite was upcycled to nitrogen-doped carbon via pyrolysis, enhancing sustainability. Field tests conducted at a municipal solid waste landfill (MSWL) in Nanjing, China, achieved >95% MPs removal over 62 days, demonstrating robust real-word performance. Monte Carlo simulations and life cycle assessments (LCA) further confirmed the economic feasibility and environmental sustainability of this approach. By bridging the gap between material research and engineering practice, this study established an approach for scalable, eco-compatible a MPs remediation using existing industrial materials.