Agglomeration and Removal of Microplastics from Water

Jacob Koller*, Rakesh Gupta, Sushant Agarwal and Hota GangaRao, Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506

Field (Broad Category): Engineering (Physical Sciences & Engineering) 

Student’s Major: Chemical Engineering 

Microplastic pollution is a worldwide problem that can pose a significant threat to all types of life. Microplastics are defined as plastic particles less than 5mm in width. They can be found in oceans, rivers, and even treated tap water. Microplastics are too small to remove from water sources using conventional cleanup methods. However, numerous techniques to collect or agglomerate and remove microplastics are available. Most processes use chemical surfactants, or chemicals that alter the surface tension of liquids. This study attempts to determine the best method to collect microplastics in water using multiple surfactants. For experimental purposes, microplastics were represented by grinding and filtering polypropylene pellets to an average radius of about 20 microns. They were then introduced into a solution containing water and a surfactant. For each surfactant tested, agglomeration was observed at the surface of the solution and quantified experimentally with laboratory equipment. Agglomerates were removed from the solution via filtration techniques utilizing hydrophobic and hydrophilic materials, and the separation efficiency for each method was evaluated. The most moderately hydrophobic surfactant tested was the most effective at agglomerating the microplastics. This knowledge can be applied to water treatment facilities worldwide to remove microplastics, as well as other potential applications to cleaning up microplastic pollution. 

Funding: 

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: WVU's Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP) & accompanying HONR 297-level course