In this Science Talk, Professor Nathalie Tufenkji will introduce an innovative water treatment technology designed to improve the removal of microplastics and nanoplastics from contaminated waters. Microplastics and nanoplastics are emerging contaminants of concern that are increasingly detected in wastewater effluents, yet they are not currently regulated in many regions.
Conventional water treatment processes rely on coagulants and synthetic flocculants to aggregate and remove suspended particles; however, these approaches face challenges related to sustainability, cost, and treatment efficiency. Professor Tufenkji will present a new approach based on reusable cellulose fibers functionalized with cationic groups, which act as super-bridging agents to enhance floc size and density, thereby improving contaminant removal during settling.
The talk will highlight recent advances demonstrating that functionalized cellulose fibers can significantly enhance the removal of microplastics and nanoplastics while reducing the need for conventional chemical inputs. With demonstrated reusability over multiple treatment cycles, this sustainable technology offers promising opportunities for water treatment facilities to reduce operational costs, minimize environmental impacts, and improve treatment performance.
You may watch the talk on the UNU-INWEH YouTube channel (no registration required).
Speaker
Professor Nathalie Tufenkji
Adjunct Professor, Water Quality and Plastic Pollution
