Volume 7, Issue 4 (December 2022)
J Environ Health Sustain Dev 2022, 7(4): 1775-1776 |
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Rezaie A, Forghani S. A Novel Method for Removal of Hazardous Microplastics from Water Using Magnets. J Environ Health Sustain Dev 2022; 7 (4) :1775-1776
URL: http://jehsd.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-566-en.html
URL: http://jehsd.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-566-en.html
Environmental Science and Technology Research Center, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
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A Novel Method for Removal of Hazardous Microplastics from Water Using Magnets
Arezo Rezaie 1, Shahriar Forghani 1*
1 Environmental Science and Technology Research Center, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
Arezo Rezaie 1, Shahriar Forghani 1*
1 Environmental Science and Technology Research Center, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
| A R T I C L E I N F O | ||
| LETTER TO EDITOR | *Corresponding Author: Shahriar Forghani Email: s.shahriar.forghani@gmail.com Tel: +98 9368853641 |
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Article History: Received: 08 October 2022 Accepted: 20 November 2022 |
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Citation: Rezaie A, Forghani Sh. A Novel Method for Removal of Hazardous Microplastics from Water Using Magnets. J Environ Health Sustain Dev. 2022; 7(4): 1775-6.
Millions of tons of plastic are produced worldwide yearly , that can facilitate all aspects of people's lives 1. Release of microplastics (MPs) into the environment and their degradation causes serious environmental issues. Atmospheric factors like waves, abrasion, ultraviolet rays, and light oxidation in combination with bacteria can break down plastic parts into micro and nano particles2.
MPs are usually defined as plastic particles with a size of 100 nm to 5 mm 3. MPs are classified into two categories: primary and secondary plastics. Primary MPs are intentionally produced (MP particles) for specific applications. Secondary MPs are created during the fragmentation and degradation process of MPs, including synthetic textile fibers4, 5. There have been several reports regarding MPs that enter to the environment at all steps of a plastic product life cycle, from producers to waste management. It has also been published that these materials have the potential to enter the food chain and harm the health of humans and other living beings6, 7.
In addition, MPs have been detected in the gastrointestinal tract of marine animals, and the human intestine. MPs stimulate local immune responses in peripheral tissues because they are regarded as foreign bodies by the host organism. Furthermore, MPs can carry other chemicals, such as environmental pollutants and plastic additives, that may be released and cause harm8.
MPs toxicity is controlled by different pathways depending on their chemical structure and adhesive additives used during polymerization. Their durability and low degradability require removal methods5.
In the last decade, MPs have been recognized as a new pollutant, and for this reason, investment on a global scale in this new research field has greatly increased. Therefore, strategies to solve the problem of MPs pollution should focus on source control, remediation, and cleanup. Currently, five strategies have been considered for managing and controlling these materials, including removing plastic microbeads from personal care product, using biodegradable materials, improvement of reuse, recycle and recovery of plastics, improvement of separation efficiency at wastewater treatment plant, development of clean-up and bioremediation technologies9.
In line with one of these strategies, researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) have developed an economical and sustainable solution that achieves better results than conventional methods in just one hour. These studies have emphasized the use of powder-based adsorbents that extract MPs up to 1,000 times smaller than those currently detected in wastewater treatment plants. Adsorbents have been successfully tested in the laboratory, and these materials can be developed as a new, effective, and cost-effective way to remove MPs from waterways. It has been reported that the nano-pillar structure can be recycled from waste and also has the ability to be reused several times, which will benefit the circular economy and the environment. The adsorbent is made using nanomaterials that can mix with water and in turn absorb MPs and dissolved pollutants. The surface properties of the adsorbent are prepared in such a way that it can effectively and simultaneously remove both MPs and soluble pollutants from water. Using these adsorbents, MPs can be removed that are a thousand times smaller than those currently detectable by wastewater treatment plants.
This is an Open-Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon this work for commercial use.
References
1. Guo JJ, Huang XP, Xiang L, et al. Source, migration and toxicology of microplastics in soil. Environment International. 2020;137:105263.
2. Schwabl P, Köppel S, Königshofer P, et al. Detection of various microplastics in human stool: a prospective case series. Ann Intern Med. 2019;171(7):453-7.
3. Zhang Y, Kang S, Allen S, et al. Atmospheric microplastics: A review on current status and perspectives. Earth Sci Rev. 2020;203:103118.
4. Kershaw P, Rochman C. Sources, fate and effects of microplastics in the marine environment: a global assessment. Reports and Studies-IMO/FAO/Unesco-IOC/WMO/IAEA/UN/UNEP Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP). 2015.
5. Prata JC, da Costa JP, Lopes I, et al. Environmental exposure to microplastics: An overview on possible human health effects. Sci Total Environ. 2020;702:134455.
6. Bank MS, Hansson SV. The plastic cycle: a novel and holistic paradigm for the Anthropocene. ACS Publications. 2019;53(13): 7177-9.
7. Vethaak AD, Legler J. Microplastics and human health. Science. 2021;371(6530):672-4.
8. Ragusa A, Svelato A, Santacroce C, et al. Plasticenta: First evidence of microplastics in human placenta. Environment International. 2021;146:106274.
9. Wu WM, Yang J, Criddle CS. Microplastics pollution and reduction strategies. Front Environ Sci Eng. 2017;11(1):1-4.
MPs are usually defined as plastic particles with a size of 100 nm to 5 mm 3. MPs are classified into two categories: primary and secondary plastics. Primary MPs are intentionally produced (MP particles) for specific applications. Secondary MPs are created during the fragmentation and degradation process of MPs, including synthetic textile fibers4, 5. There have been several reports regarding MPs that enter to the environment at all steps of a plastic product life cycle, from producers to waste management. It has also been published that these materials have the potential to enter the food chain and harm the health of humans and other living beings6, 7.
In addition, MPs have been detected in the gastrointestinal tract of marine animals, and the human intestine. MPs stimulate local immune responses in peripheral tissues because they are regarded as foreign bodies by the host organism. Furthermore, MPs can carry other chemicals, such as environmental pollutants and plastic additives, that may be released and cause harm8.
MPs toxicity is controlled by different pathways depending on their chemical structure and adhesive additives used during polymerization. Their durability and low degradability require removal methods5.
In the last decade, MPs have been recognized as a new pollutant, and for this reason, investment on a global scale in this new research field has greatly increased. Therefore, strategies to solve the problem of MPs pollution should focus on source control, remediation, and cleanup. Currently, five strategies have been considered for managing and controlling these materials, including removing plastic microbeads from personal care product, using biodegradable materials, improvement of reuse, recycle and recovery of plastics, improvement of separation efficiency at wastewater treatment plant, development of clean-up and bioremediation technologies9.
In line with one of these strategies, researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) have developed an economical and sustainable solution that achieves better results than conventional methods in just one hour. These studies have emphasized the use of powder-based adsorbents that extract MPs up to 1,000 times smaller than those currently detected in wastewater treatment plants. Adsorbents have been successfully tested in the laboratory, and these materials can be developed as a new, effective, and cost-effective way to remove MPs from waterways. It has been reported that the nano-pillar structure can be recycled from waste and also has the ability to be reused several times, which will benefit the circular economy and the environment. The adsorbent is made using nanomaterials that can mix with water and in turn absorb MPs and dissolved pollutants. The surface properties of the adsorbent are prepared in such a way that it can effectively and simultaneously remove both MPs and soluble pollutants from water. Using these adsorbents, MPs can be removed that are a thousand times smaller than those currently detectable by wastewater treatment plants.
This is an Open-Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon this work for commercial use.
References
1. Guo JJ, Huang XP, Xiang L, et al. Source, migration and toxicology of microplastics in soil. Environment International. 2020;137:105263.
2. Schwabl P, Köppel S, Königshofer P, et al. Detection of various microplastics in human stool: a prospective case series. Ann Intern Med. 2019;171(7):453-7.
3. Zhang Y, Kang S, Allen S, et al. Atmospheric microplastics: A review on current status and perspectives. Earth Sci Rev. 2020;203:103118.
4. Kershaw P, Rochman C. Sources, fate and effects of microplastics in the marine environment: a global assessment. Reports and Studies-IMO/FAO/Unesco-IOC/WMO/IAEA/UN/UNEP Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP). 2015.
5. Prata JC, da Costa JP, Lopes I, et al. Environmental exposure to microplastics: An overview on possible human health effects. Sci Total Environ. 2020;702:134455.
6. Bank MS, Hansson SV. The plastic cycle: a novel and holistic paradigm for the Anthropocene. ACS Publications. 2019;53(13): 7177-9.
7. Vethaak AD, Legler J. Microplastics and human health. Science. 2021;371(6530):672-4.
8. Ragusa A, Svelato A, Santacroce C, et al. Plasticenta: First evidence of microplastics in human placenta. Environment International. 2021;146:106274.
9. Wu WM, Yang J, Criddle CS. Microplastics pollution and reduction strategies. Front Environ Sci Eng. 2017;11(1):1-4.
Type of Study: Letters to editor |
Subject:
Water quality and wastewater treatment and reuse
Received: 2022/10/8 | Accepted: 2022/11/20 | Published: 2022/12/25
Received: 2022/10/8 | Accepted: 2022/11/20 | Published: 2022/12/25
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