The utilization of exopolysaccharide (EPS) from microalgae Chlorella vulgaris in microplastic removal

Abstract The most common plastic kinds detected in aquatic systems are polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which are the microplastics employed in this investigation. This study aims to determine the ability of microalgae to remove microplastics. Because they contain chemicals and additives, microplastics have an influence on microalgae growth. Exopolysaccharide (EPS), an extracellular molecule, is produced by Chlorella vulgaris . Exopolysaccharide (EPS) is used in the hetero-aggregation process to generate flocs, which facilitates the removal of microplastic. Both internal and external factors influence the production of microalgal EPS. The interaction between microplastics and microalgae, used at 1000 mg/L, is one of the external influences. Every two days, the optical density (OD) of microalgae is measured to determine the growth rate of Chlorella vulgaris . We calculated and determined the dissolved EPS gravimetrically as dry EPS (mg/ml). Flocs were created as a result of the hetero-aggregation of microplastics, EPS, and Chlorella vulgaris . The documentation of floc formation and EPS weight shows that the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastic type removed the most microplastics using exopolysaccharide. The dry weight of the exopolysaccharide (EPS) Chlorella vulgaris control was 735 mg/L, the polypropylene (PP) treatment was 835 mg/mL, and the polyethylene terephthalate treatment was 1034 mg/mL.