Nano/microplastics: Fragmentation, interaction with co-existing pollutants and their removal from wastewater using membrane processes

Generation and consequence of nano/microplastics from medical waste and household plastic during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…The MP/NP generated from discarded PPE can act as a vector for different disease transmission because of the interactions with microorganisms and other toxic chemical components ( Ngo et al, 2019 ; Kampf et al, 2020 ; Fadare and Okoffo, 2020 ). The interaction of plastic with organic chemicals and heavy metals includes a variety of sorption mechanisms such as electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions ( Mei et al, 2020 ; Fred-Ahmadu et al, 2020 ; Mohana et al, 2022 ). Additionally, the environmental conditions encourage harmful compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls and flame retardants to leach from plastic goods ( Bejgarn et al, 2015 ; De-la-Torre et al, 2020 ).…”

Reduction of Ultrafiltration Membrane Fouling by the Pretreatment Removal of Emerging Pollutants: A Review

“…The particle size of MPs in the traditional sense is usually maintained at a size level lower than 5 mm [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Although MPs are generally considered to be chemically inert, their small particle size, high surface energy, wide distribution range, and ability to carry different kinds of charges on their surfaces endow them with the ability to easily adsorb and be combined with various pollutants [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 51 ]. Color, particle size, shape, material and surface functional groups are the main factors that affecting the adsorption capacity and binding state of MPs [ 7 , 59 ].…”

“…The pore size of the UF membrane determines that MPs below 1 nm cannot be effectively blocked. Traditional UF membrane materials usually exhibit a single electrical property, while electrostatic adsorption is not universally applicable for removing MP particles with two electrical properties at the same time [ 51 ]. In view of the state stability of MPs, the space restriction effect generated by the filter membrane avoids the deposition of fibers on most membrane channels.…”

Metal-organic frameworks and plastic: an emerging synergic partnership

“…Both MPs and NPs size are considerably larger than MOF pore size, consequently, it is unlikely that these particles can be adsorbed within the MOF porous network. Nevertheless, multiple interactions of different nature (electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, halogen bonding or stacking interactions, and van der Waals interactions) can occur between the outer MOF surface, rich of functional groups, and MPs/NPs [ 47 ]. Moreover, being MOFs extremely flexible materials, surface functionality can be easily engineered and custom-designed to maximize these interactions, also depending on MPs and NPs composition, as well as to target additional soluble analytes.…”

“…Generally, MOFs have unique properties, such as strong coordination bonds, large and robustus porous structures and accessible surface areas, and high adsorption capacity, which make them suitable adsorbent materials for wastewater treatment, reaching high performances in particular for the removal of micropollutants [ 40–43 ]. All these features, along with the enhanced catalytic activity that they can display [ 44–46 ], provide an exciting opportunity to produce new advanced adsorbents for MPs/NPs removal from water and wastewater [ 47 ] as well as catalytic materials able to easily degrade MPs/NPs [ 48 ]. Moreover, MOFs and MOF-based materials, including both composite materials and innovative MOF-modified membrane-based filtering systems, offer a chance for the simultaneous removal of MPs/NPs and other coexisting micropollutants with a single process.…”