IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v15y2024i1d10.1038_s41467-024-48142-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Efficient removal of nanoplastics from industrial wastewater through synergetic electrophoretic deposition and particle-stabilized foam formation

Author

Listed:
  • Amna Abdeljaoued

    (Rodenbacher Chaussee 4
    Cauerstrasse 4)

  • Beatriz López Ruiz

    (Rodenbacher Chaussee 4
    Cauerstrasse 4)

  • Yikalo-Eyob Tecle

    (Rodenbacher Chaussee 4)

  • Marie Langner

    (Rodenbacher Chaussee 4)

  • Natalie Bonakdar

    (Cauerstrasse 4)

  • Gudrun Bleyer

    (Cauerstrasse 4)

  • Patrik Stenner

    (Rodenbacher Chaussee 4)

  • Nicolas Vogel

    (Cauerstrasse 4)

Abstract

Microplastic particles have been discovered in virtually all ecosystems worldwide, yet they may only represent the surface of a much larger issue. Nanoplastics, with dimensions well below 1 µm, pose an even greater environmental concern. Due to their size, they can infiltrate and disrupt individual cells within organisms, potentially exacerbating ecological impacts. Moreover, their minute dimensions present several hurdles for removal, setting them apart from microplastics. Here, we describe a process to remove colloidally stable nanoplastics from wastewater, which synergistically combines electrophoretic deposition and the formation of particle-stabilized foam. This approach capitalizes on localized changes in particle hydrophilicity induced by pH fluctuations resulting from water electrolysis at the electrode surface. By leveraging these pH shifts to enhance particle attachment to nascent bubbles proximal to the electrode, separation of colloidal particles from aqueous dispersions is achieved. Using poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) colloidal particles as a model, we gain insights into the separation mechanisms, which are subsequently applied to alternative model systems with varying surface properties and materials, as well as to real-world industrial wastewaters from dispersion paints and PMMA fabrication processes. Our investigations demonstrate removal efficiencies surpassing 90%.

Suggested Citation

  • Amna Abdeljaoued & Beatriz López Ruiz & Yikalo-Eyob Tecle & Marie Langner & Natalie Bonakdar & Gudrun Bleyer & Patrik Stenner & Nicolas Vogel, 2024. "Efficient removal of nanoplastics from industrial wastewater through synergetic electrophoretic deposition and particle-stabilized foam formation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-48142-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48142-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48142-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-024-48142-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michele Zanini & Claudia Marschelke & Svetoslav E. Anachkov & Emanuele Marini & Alla Synytska & Lucio Isa, 2017. "Universal emulsion stabilization from the arrested adsorption of rough particles at liquid-liquid interfaces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-9, August.
    2. Lucio Isa & Falk Lucas & Roger Wepf & Erik Reimhult, 2011. "Measuring single-nanoparticle wetting properties by freeze-fracture shadow-casting cryo-scanning electron microscopy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 2(1), pages 1-9, September.
    3. Marcel Rey & Johannes Walter & Johannes Harrer & Carmen Morcillo Perez & Salvatore Chiera & Sharanya Nair & Maret Ickler & Alesa Fuchs & Mark Michaud & Maximilian J. Uttinger & Andrew B. Schofield & J, 2022. "Versatile strategy for homogeneous drying patterns of dispersed particles," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.

      More about this item

      Statistics

      Access and download statistics

      Corrections

      All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-48142-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

      If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

      If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

      If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

      For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

      Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

      IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.