Assessment of microplastic removal efficiency in raw water using conventional treatment processes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26507/paper.4178Keywords:
Microplastics, Coagulation, Drinking water treatment, Aluminum chlorohydrate, Ferric chlorideAbstract
The exponential urban expansion and demographic growth in Eastern Antioquia's Río Negro watershed have substantially increased freshwater contamination by micro- and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs), persistent emerging contaminants that resist conventional degradation pathways. Current drinking water treatment infrastructure remains inadequate for complete MP/NP removal, compounded by the absence of regulatory frameworks governing permissible plastic particle concentrations in potable water supplies. This investigation systematically evaluates aluminum chlorohydrate (PAC) and ferric chloride (FeCl3) coagulation efficacy for MP/NP removal within conventional treatment trains. Experimental results demonstrate coagulant dosage as the primary determinant of removal efficiency, with PAC achieving maximum 83% MP elimination at 10 mg/L. Multivariate analysis identified color, turbidity, and MP removal as statistically significant response variables (p<0.05). Treatment performance exhibited strong size- and weathering-dependent behavior: pristine particles showed optimal removal with PAC, while weathered MPs (500-75 µm) demonstrated enhanced removal using 5 mg/L FeCl3. Notably, 53 µm pristine MPs displayed superior removal efficiency with FeCl3 treatment. These findings quantitatively establish the critical roles of particle aging and size distribution in coagulation dynamics, providing empirical evidence for process optimization in MP-targeted water treatment strategies.
Author Biography
Carlos Augusto Benjumea Hoyos, Universidad Católica de Oriente
Carlos Augusto Benjumea Hoyos currently works at the Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Católica de Oriente. Carlos does research in water quality, physicochemistry of drinking water, waste water and Environmental Engineering.
https://scienti.minciencias.gov.co/cvlac/visualizador/generarCurriculoCv.do?cod_rh=0000512044
References
American Public Health Association (APHA). (2017). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater (23ª ed.).
Andía Cárdenas, J. (2000). Evaluación de coagulantes en el tratamiento de agua para consumo humano en Rionegro, Antioquia. Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
ASTM International. (2003). Standard practice for coagulation-flocculation jar test of water (ASTM D2035-08).
Baiwen, M., Wenjing, X., Chengzhi, H., Huijuan, L., Jiuhui, Q., & Liangliang, L. (2018). Characteristics of microplastic removal via coagulation and ultrafiltration during drinking water treatment. Chemical Engineering Journal, 354, 541–548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2018.11.155
Benjumea Hoyos, C. A. (2018). Determinación de coeficientes de degradación de materia orgánica en el río Negro (municipio de Rionegro, Colombia). Bionatura, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.21931/rb/2018.03.01.10
Cornare. (2017). Plan de ordenación y manejo de la cuenca La Pereira, Municipio de La Ceja Del Tambo.
Döpkens, E., Jonas, R., Jung, T., & Krull, R. (2001). Rückführung von Abwasserteilströmen der Textilveredlung in den Produktionsprozess. En Preprints. Colloquium Produktionsintegrierte Wasser-/Abwassertechnik (pp. B143–B157). GVC.
Galindo Montero, A. A., Costa-Redondo, L. C., Vasco-Echeverri, O., & Arana, V. A. (2023). Microplastic pollution in coastal areas of Colombia: Review. Marine Environmental Research, 190, 106027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106027
Kankanige, D., & Babel, S. (2021). Contamination by ≥6.5 μm-sized microplastics and their removability in a conventional water treatment plant (WTP) in Thailand. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 40, 101765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2020.101765
Lapointe, M., Farner, J. M., Hernandez, L. M., & Tufenkji, N. (2020). Understanding and improving microplastic removal during water treatment: Impact of coagulation and flocculation. Environmental Science & Technology, 54(14), 8719–8727. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c00712
Liu, G., Zhu, Z., Yang, Y., Sun, Y., Yu, F., & Ma, J. (2019). Sorption behavior and mechanism of hydrophilic organic chemicals to virgin and aged microplastics in freshwater and seawater. Environmental Pollution, 246, 26–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.11.100
Lizano Soberón, E., Seade Kuri, J., Morán Zenteo, D., Rosales Hoz, M., & Salazar Ugarte, P. (2022). Contaminación por microplásticos. Intidrinero.
Ma, J., Wu, G., Zhang, R., Xia, W., Nie, Y., Kong, Y., Jia, B., & Li, S. (2023). Emulsified oil removal from steel rolling oily wastewater by using magnetic chitosan-based flocculants. Separation and Purification Technology, 304, 122329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122329
Prokopova, M., Novotna, K., Pivokonska, L., Cermakova, L., Cajthaml, T., & Pivokonsky, M. (2021). Coagulation of polyvinyl chloride microplastics by ferric and aluminium sulphate: Optimisation of reaction conditions and removal mechanisms. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 9(6), 106465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.106465
Qaiser, Z., Aqeel, M., Sarfraz, W., Fatima Rizvi, Z., Noman, A., Naeem, S., & Khalid, N. (2023). Microplastics in wastewaters and their potential effects on aquatic and terrestrial biota. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, 8, 100536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscee.2023.100536
Ramírez, J. (1986). Estudio hidrológico de la cuenca del río Negro. Instituto Colombiano de Hidrología.
Rangel-Buitrago, N., Arroyo-Olarte, H., Trilleras, J., Arana, V. A., Mantilla-Barbosa, E., Gracia, A., Vélez-Mendoza, A., Neal, W. J., Williams, A., & Micallef, A. (2021). Microplastic pollution in beaches of the central Caribbean coast of Colombia. Environmental Pollution, 276, 116760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116760
Wang, L., Zhang, J., Huang, W., & He, Y. (2023). Laboratory simulated aging methods, mechanisms and characteristic changes of microplastics: A review. Chemosphere, 315, 137744. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.137744
World Health Organization (WHO). (2019). Microplastics in drinking-water. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241516198
Wright, S. L., & Kelly, F. J. (2017). Plastic and human health: A micro issue? Environmental Science & Technology, 51(12), 6634–6647. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b00423
Zhou, G., Wang, Q., Li, J., Li, Q., Xu, H., Ye, Q., Wang, Y., Shu, S., & Zhang, J. (2021). Removal of polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics using PAC and FeCl3 coagulation: Performance and mechanism. Science of the Total Environment, 752, 141837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141837
How to Cite
Downloads
Downloads
Published
Proceeding
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Asociación Colombiana de Facultades de Ingeniería - ACOFI
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
| Article metrics | |
|---|---|
| Abstract views | |
| Galley vies | |
| PDF Views | |
| HTML views | |
| Other views | |
