Evaluation of MiniPlast Filters for Microplastic Removal from Laundry Wastewater

Microplastic pollution is considered a serious threat because it is associated with potential environmental and human health damage due to its bioaccumulation properties and ecological risks. An initiative emerged to make filters that have technical specifications for quality products. MiniPlast Filter is the newest type of filter innovation, implementing a sustainable system in its use in society. This research aims to determine the working system of the MiniPlast Filter in removing microplastics and the efficiency of eliminating microplastics using the MiniPlast Filter tool. The study examines the effect of using the MiniPlast Filter (independent variable) on reducing microplastics in laundry wastewater (dependent variable). This MiniPlast Filter can reduce the possibility of successfully and effectively spreading microplastics. Based on microscope observations with a dry weight of 7.0 kg, clothes washed by filtering water containing microplastics with the colours of microplastics, namely yellow, purple, red, black, blue and green, were found in observations using a light binocular microscope with a 10x magnification lens at the Botany Laboratory, Halu Oleo University. It was found that the average number of microplastics without using the MiniPlast Filter was 4,710 MPs, and the average number using the MiniPlast Filter was 390 MPs.