​​​​​​Integrated Membrane Systems More Efficient at Removing Microplastics

Integrated membrane systems (IMS) have higher microplastic removal rates than conventional activated sludge systems (CAS), according to new research published online in Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering.

The team led by researchers Jian Lu and Ying Cai from the Chinese Academy of Sciences also found that the IMS system effectively prevents microplastics from re-entering the marine environment and creates renewable water from wastewater.

The IMS system registered high removal rates of microplastics, reaching a 93.2% rate after membrane bioreactor treatment and a 98% rate after the reverse osmosis membrane process. In both treatments, the flux of microplastics in effluent decreased from 1.5×1013 MPs/d to 0.2 ×1011 MPs/d for MBR and 2.7×1011 MPs/d for RO.

While the study shows that the IMS system excels in microplastic removal, it also shares that fiber plastics smaller than 200 µm still manage to go through the RO system.

Read the full article here to discover how more efficient IMS systems are than CAS at removing microplastics.

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