Efficacy of Protein Extracts of Moringa oleifera and Benincasa hispida Seeds for the Treatment of Microplastics

Microplastics are emerging contaminants and have found significant interest due to their pervasive nature and potential health impacts on different life forms. A number of methods have been investigated so far, including the use of synthetic and recently natural coagulants, however, protein extracts derived from plant-based materials have not been extensively studied for such applications. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a sustainable treatment technology for the removal of microplastics. In this study, coagulation experiments were conducted under varying conditions such as pH, coagulant type and concentration using jar test apparatus for removal of microplastics from aqueous samples. The proteins extracted from two natural coagulants, Moringa oleifera and Benincasa hispida, have been studied for the removal of microplastics in aqueous samples. It was found that M. oleifera protein extracts achieved microplastics removal of 94.14 ± 11.0% at a dosage of 30 mL/L whereas B. hispida protein extracts achieved 88.29 ± 10.7% removal at 40 mL/L at pH 7. Therefore, the novelty of the study lies in evaluating the impact of M. oleifera and B. hispida seed protein extracts for the removal of microplastics. The findings suggest that the M. oleifera and B. hispida can be effective, sustainable, eco-friendly and affordable alternatives to chemical coagulants for treatment of microplastics in aqueous systems.