Factsheet 5.1: Removing microplastics from industrial wastewater - Process improvements through the use of flocculants

Microplastics can enter our wastewater along the entire value chain. Removal options exist primarily in wastewater treatment plants, here in the form of filtration, flotation and sedimentation processes. The removal performance of wastewater treatment plants determines how much microplastic is discharged into the environment.

Building on this, Factsheet 5.1 addresses the question of how current processes can be further improved. In this context, the researchers paid particular attention to the influence of flocculants on separation performance. The joint project EmiStop conducted over 1,000 flocculation tests with 9 flocculant combinations on 17 types of plastics. The results show that flocculants can increase process efficiency up to 99.9% removal efficiency.

In the EmiStop research project, industrial plastic emissions were qualitatively and quantitatively identified using innovative detection methods, and technologies to prevent environmental input via the wastewater pathway were evaluated and optimized.

The factsheet 5.1 is available for PDF download here.