Phytoremediation : a promising approach to remove microplastics from the aquatic environment

Putar, Ula (author), Blažič, Anej (author), Kalčíková, Gabriela (author)

Due to the increasing amount of microplastics (MPs) in the environment, various technologies for their removal have been investigated. One of the possible technologies are phytoremediation methods, but insufficient understanding of the interactions between MPs and aquatic macrophytes limits their further development. In this context, the aim of this study was to investigate the interactions between polyethylene MPs and the floating aquatic macrophyte Lemna minor in terms of the extent and time frame of MPs adhesion to the plant biomass, the stability of the interactions under water movement and understanding the nature of the adsorption process through the adsorption isotherm models. The results showed that the maximum number of adhered MPs was reached after 24 h. With increased amount of plant biomass the number of adhered MPs increased as well. Slow movement of water had no statistically significant effect on the adhesion of MPs. Among several adsorption models, the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model was the best fit to the experimental data, which assumes weak binding of MPs to plant biomass. Finally, 79% of MPs was removed during 15 cycles of phytoremediation (i.e., the biomass was removed and replaced with new biomass 15 times) and it was calculated that 53 cycles would be needed to remove all MPs from the water phase under test conditions.

• Language: English
• Keywords: microplastics, phytoremediation, phytostabilization, duckweed, isotherms, bioremediation technologies, biosorption, bioremediation, microbeads
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: 8 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 338, art. 122690
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-152930
• UDC: 502.51:504.5
• ISSN on article: 0269-7491
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122690
• COBISS.SI-ID: 167517955
• Publication date in RUL: 12.12.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Environmental pollution
• Shortened title: Environ. pollut.
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0269-7491
• COBISS.SI-ID: 25405184

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: mikroplastika, fitoremediacija, fitostabilizacija, mala vodna leča, izoterme, bioremediacijske tehnologije