Microplastic detection and remediation through efficient interfacial solar evaporation for immaculate water production

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 6081 - 10
• Main Authors: Yu, Zhen, Li, Yang, Zhang, Yaoxin, Xu, Ping, Lv, Chade, Li, Wulong, Maryam, Bushra, Liu, Xianhua, Tan, Swee Ching
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 19.07.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 140/146; 147/135; 639/166; 639/301; Adsorbents; Evaporation; Humanities and Social Sciences; Microplastics; multidisciplinary; Plastic debris; Plastic pollution; Pollution; Pollution detection; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Water pollution; Water scarcity
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50421-x

Freshwater scarcity and microplastics (MPs) pollution are two concerning and intertwined global challenges. In this work, we propose a “one stone kills two birds” strategy by employing an interfacial solar evaporation platform (ISEP) combined with a MPs adsorbent. This strategy aims to produce clean water and simultaneously enhance MPs removal. Unlike traditional predecessors, our ISEP generates condensed water free from MPs contamination. Additionally, the photothermally driven interfacial separation process significantly improves the MPs removal performance. We observed a removal ratio increase of up to 5.5 times compared to previously reported MPs adsorbents. Thus, our rationally-designed ISEP holds promising potential to not only mitigate the existing water scarcity issue but also remediate MPs pollution in natural water environments. Freshwater scarcity and microplastics (MPs) pollution are two concerning and intertwined global challenges. Here, authors design an interfacial solar evaporation platform (ISEP) combined with a MPs adsorbent. The well-designed ISEP can produce clean water and simultaneously boost MPs removal.