Study of Polyurethane Microplastics Removal from Water Using Smart Installation

Microplastics, MPs, plastic particles with dimensions between 0.1 and 5 mm, represent an important environmental pollutant. The removal of microplastics from natural and wastewater is a challenging research topic. In this regard, high-performance technical solutions must be identified, which can be based on existing treatment and purification technologies, to ensure their removal at concentration values in accordance with the legislation in force. In this study, the efficiency of removing some fractions of polyurethane microplastics, with dimensions smaller than 500 µm, from aqueous synthetic solutions with a concentration of 0.2 g L−1, i.e., around 175 NTU, was evaluated. In the first stage of the study, the doses of coagulants and flocculants effective for the removal of microplastics were identified through the Jar Test. The variation in turbidity and their removal efficiencies were evaluated in the presence of classic coagulants, such as aluminum sulfate, Al2(SO4)3·18H2O, SA; iron sulfate (ferrous sulfate), FeSO4, IS; polyaluminum chloride, [Al2(OH)nCl6-n], PAC; Aloe Vera, AV, a flocculant; and activated carbon, AC, of the Norit GAC 830 W type. Classic coagulants, such as aluminum sulfate, have a good efficiency in removing microplastics, being able to provide a residual turbidity in the range of 6–10 NTU after a retention time of 50–60 min. In the second stage of the study, the removal efficiency of microplastics was tested using a laboratory pilot plant—called in the study the Smart Decantation-Filtration System, SDFS. The efficiency of the decanter was studied using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to identify mathematical models that characterize the influence of key process variables: flow rate (A), microplastic size (B) and aluminum sulfate concentration (C) on microplastic removal efficiency. Sedimentation in the specially constructed decanter can raise the optimal value of the removal efficiency of polyurethane microplastics to 98.98%, and filtration can ensure an efficiency that reaches over 99.5%. Through this research, we aimed to identify viable solutions that can be applied to remove microplastics, MPs, from natural and wastewater. A novel element is the fact that we chose to study the removal of polyurethane, which is studied little in the literature. We identified the optimal doses of coagulants and flocculants that help sedimentation of MPs. The efficiency of an installation called Smart Decantation-Filtration System, specially designed to ensure increased efficiency in the removal of microplastics, was determined. The results obtained were encouraging.