Speaker
Description
Microplastic (MP) contamination in aquatic environments continues to present a significant challenge for water treatment and environmental management. These tiny plastic particles, resulting from industrial activities and the breakdown of larger plastics, have been shown to accumulate in natural water systems, posing risks to ecosystems and human health. Understanding how microplastics interact with filtration systems, particularly membranes, is critical to optimizing water treatment technologies and mitigating environmental impacts. This study explores the interactions between microplastics and hollow fiber membrane pore sizes, employing an innovative combination of fluorescence staining dye (MP), detection techniques and transport phenomena modeling through pore network analysis (PNM).
The fluorescence detection method leverages Nile Red (NR) staining, a well-established technique for visualizing microplastics, to directly detect and analyze microplastic particles in aqueous environments. This approach eliminates the need for extensive pre-treatment, offering a streamlined and efficient method for identifying microplastic presence. Hollow fiber micro- and ultrafiltration membranes serve as model systems in this study, providing insight into how pore size distributions influence microplastic retention, transport, and clogging mechanisms under varying operational conditions.
Fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy are utilized to capture detailed observations of microplastic retention and transport phenomena within the membranes. These experimental findings are further supported by pore network modeling, which simulates the dynamics of microplastic movement, accumulation, and fouling at the microscale. This dual-method approach bridges experimental and computational insights, enabling a comprehensive understanding of microplastic behavior in porous systems.
Initial findings highlight the critical role of membrane pore size, flow velocity, and particle properties in determining retention efficiency and fouling potential. Experimental validations using synthetic and real wastewater matrices demonstrate the robustness of this combined approach in characterizing microplastic dynamics in diverse conditions. Moreover, the results reveal key interactions between microplastics and hollow fiber membrane structures, contributing to the optimization of filtration performance and the design of more efficient water treatment systems.
Looking forward, this research aims to expand its scope to include a wider range of polymer types and membrane geometries, enhancing the resolution of pore network models to predict microplastic behavior more accurately. Future investigations will focus on exploring the long-term impacts of microplastic interactions on membrane fouling, durability, and overall filtration efficiency. Additionally, the potential integration of this approach with advanced monitoring technologies, such as real-time fluorescence sensors, offers promising avenues for further innovation.
By integrating experimental detection with computational modeling, this study establishes a framework for advancing the characterization of microplastic behavior in filtration systems. The findings provide critical insights that can inform the development of tailored solutions for addressing microplastic contamination in water treatment and environmental remediation efforts. This work underscores the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in tackling complex environmental challenges and highlights the potential for innovative techniques to drive sustainable solutions.
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Water & Porous Media Focused Abstracts | This abstract is related to Water |
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