In today’s era, plastics are replacing other materials. They are available everywhere around us. Plastics can be found in our drinking water, large landfills and oceans as tiny particles known as microplastics. Obviously, we dislike the presence of microplastics in our drinking water, even if the quantity in the water is currently safe for the majority of healthy persons. This blog will discuss how to remove microplastics from water.
The components of microplastics can be directly released into the environment through primary or secondary sources, wherein bigger units break down to produce smaller molecules. Even though many physical and chemical methods for removing microplastics have been documented, the process cannot be applied on a big scale due to its high cost. Coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and ultrafiltration are a few techniques employed in the microplastic removal process.
What is Microplastic?
Tiny plastic particles smaller than 5 mm are known as Microplastics. Primary microplastics are produced purposefully at microscopic sizes, while secondary microplastics are created when bigger plastic objects break down and fragment.
Apart from microplastics, there are nanoplastics. These particles are even smaller, with sizes ranging from one nanometer to one micrometer. Just for your knowledge, a micrometer is one millionth of a meter, and a nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Usually, nanoplastics are not intentionally created. They are either the result of degradation or byproducts of other plastic manufacturing processes.
Why Should We Remove Microplastics from Water?
Microplastics are tiny particles that cause several health and environmental risks. Aquatic organisms can consume them, which could result in bioaccumulation and biomagnification across the food chain. Microplastics have been discovered in a variety of human commodities, such as seafood, drinking water and even our breath. Concern for microplastics is growing because of the threats they are causing to life and this is the reason to remove microplastics from the water.
Where do Microplastics in Water Come From?
Microplastics and other plastic pollution originate from the numerous things we use daily. The largest source of microplastics in water is mishandled waste, which probably you all might know. It adds up to all those single-use plastic food containers. Not only these but there are several other additional ways of how microplastics enter the water.
The following seven main sources of microplastics in our oceans as identified in a 2017 report:
- Washing clothing composed of polyester or other synthetic materials
- Automobile tire dust and paint dust
- Urban dust from the Roads and vehicles
- Coatings on the boats and ships
- Microbeads in cosmetics for personal hygiene
- Plastic pellets made from recycled and manufactured plastic
The majority of microplastics found in the products on this list are the result of protective coatings being worn down over time by exposure and friction. Now the question is how to remove microplastics from water. Read below to know more.
How to Remove Microplastic from Water?
Concern has been raised by several studies conducted on animals that examined the buildup of microplastics in the tissues of mice exposed to the particles. They discovered that the mice’s kidneys, liver and intestines had collected microplastics depending on the particle size. This buildup changed many indicators that suggest toxicity and neurotoxicity, as well as the metabolism of fat and energy. Now, know the different ways how to remove microplastics from water that are research-proven.
Coagulation & Focculation
In water treatment procedures, coagulation and flocculation are frequently employed to eliminate suspended particles, including microplastics. Water is mixed with chemical coagulants, like ferric chloride or aluminum sulfate, to agglomerate and destabilize the particles and create larger flocs. Therefore, the content of microplastics in the water can then be successfully decreased by removing these flocs using filtering or sedimentation techniques.
Activated Carbon Filter
The main purpose of activated carbon filters is to eliminate pollutants and organic molecules from water. Activated carbon filters may not be made expressly to remove microplastics, yet they can nevertheless help reduce microplastics to some degree. Larger microplastics in the water can be physically trapped and adsorbed by activated carbon due to their porous structure. Smaller or dissolved microplastics, on the other hand, might not be sufficiently trapped by the activated carbon and might instead get past the filter.
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Ceramic Water Filters
Because ceramic water filters have tiny pore diameters, they can remove bigger microplastics from water. The pores in ceramic filters are usually between 0.1 and 0.9 micrometers in size which can trap the bigger particles and hold them in place. Numerous microplastics greater than 0.1 micrometers fall under this category. It is noteworthy that tiny or dissolved microplastics may still be able to flow through the pores of ceramic filters, limiting their ability to be completely removed.
Ultrafiltration
The smallest microplastics in water can be removed by ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. UF membranes have pores that are usually between 0.001 and 0.1 micrometers in size, which enables them to physically hold microplastics of different sizes. UF membranes function as a physical barrier that keeps larger pollutants, such as microplastics, out while permitting water and other tiny particles to pass through. However, UF membranes might not be able to remove tiny or dissolved microplastics adequately.
Reverse Osmosis Filtration System
In addition to all the above filters, Reverse Osmosis (RO) is very good at eliminating microplastics from water. The RO membrane can efficiently remove microplastics of all sizes. This is because of its incredibly tiny holes, which are usually in the region of 0.0001 micrometers. The membrane may physically reject and retain the majority of microplastics, including both bigger and smaller particles, due to its narrow hole size. Hence, it is the best way to remove away microplastics from water.
Conclusion
It is essential to remove microplastics from water to protect the environment and human health. Now, you might now know how to remove the microplastics from water. You can drastically lower the amount of microplastic pollution in our water sources. This can be done by combining filtering techniques, improved oxidation procedures, distillation, coagulation and biological treatments. Therefore, by putting microplastic removal technologies into practice, we can drastically lower the amount of microplastic pollution in our water sources, which will result in safer, cleaner water and a better future for everybody.
The most practical way to guarantee an endless supply of filtered and cleaned water straight from your tap is to use a water filter machine like the Water Filters provided by Mentor Water. There is a vast range of filters available having different pore sizes to filter the water away from the contaminants. Contact 7351002123 to know which filter will suit you the most.
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