Removal of Polypropylene Particle Contaminants Using Membrane Technology to Mitigate Microplastics Pollution in the Environment

Abstract Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly pervasive in global water bodies, raising environmental and health concerns due to their small size and potential for bioaccumulation. Once inside the body, MPs are difficult to degrade, leading to potential health risks. Ongoing research seeks effective method mitigate MP contamination, with membrane technology emerging as a promising approach to remove MP pollutant from water. This research focuses on the ability of membranes to remove polypropylene (PP) MP particles. Distilled water samples containing PP plastic particles were prepared to assess the effectiveness and mechanism of PP removal through membrane technology. Microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were operated were operated under specific pressure criteria for each type. The MP removal efficiency was calculated based on the rejection coefficient of each membrane. The MF membrane showed a rejection coefficient up to 99%, while the UF membrane gained a perfect rejection rate of 100%. This study confirms that membrane technology is a viable solution for managing MP pollution in aquatic environment. Membrane technology has been proven to be a potential solution for managing MP pollution in aquatic environment.