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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Understanding The Impact Of Microplastic Contamination On Soil Quality And Eco-Toxicological Risks In Horticulture: A Comprehensive Review, N. P. Gayathri, Geena Prasad, Vaishna Prabhakaran, Vishnu Priya Jun 2024

Understanding The Impact Of Microplastic Contamination On Soil Quality And Eco-Toxicological Risks In Horticulture: A Comprehensive Review, N. P. Gayathri, Geena Prasad, Vaishna Prabhakaran, Vishnu Priya

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The horticulture sector, essential for global food production, confronts significant challenges with prevalent pollutants, mainly microplastics. The presence of microplastics in the food chain has induced physiological stress and a multifactorial food safety concern. The complexity of the problem, arising from intricate interactions among microplastics, organisms, and ecosystems, poses a substantial challenge to food safety, necessitating an immediate strategic perspective due to the associated risks to human health and eco-toxicology. Significant knowledge gaps persist regarding their impact on terrestrial ecosystems, especially in horticulture. This study addresses the urgent need to comprehend the implications of microplastics on soil health, eco-toxicological risks, …


Microplastics Fouling Mitigation In Forward Osmosis Membranes By The Molecular Assembly Of Sulfobetaine Zwitterion, Javad Farahbakhsh, Mitra Golgoli, Mehdi Khiadani, Amir Razmjou, Masoumeh Zargar Apr 2024

Microplastics Fouling Mitigation In Forward Osmosis Membranes By The Molecular Assembly Of Sulfobetaine Zwitterion, Javad Farahbakhsh, Mitra Golgoli, Mehdi Khiadani, Amir Razmjou, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Forward osmosis (FO) membranes have potential for the efficient water and wastewater treatment applications. However, their development has faced significant challenges due to their fouling propensity. In this study, FO membranes modified with sulfobetaine zwitterions (i.e., [2-(Methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide) were fabricated and used for the first time to address microplastic (MP) fouling issue. Water flux, reverse salt flux (RSF), fouling, and flux recovery were evaluated for the membranes loaded with different quantities of the zwitterions ranging from 0.25 % to 2 %. The developed membranes were tested over 49 h with feed solutions containing polyethylene MPs and bovine serum albumin …


Harnessing The Power Of Metal-Organic Frameworks To Develop Microplastic Fouling Resistant Forward Osmosis Membranes, Mitra Golgoli, Javad Farahbakhsh, Abdul H. Asif, Mehdi Khiadani, Amir Razmjou, Michael L. Johns, Masoumeh Zargar Sep 2023

Harnessing The Power Of Metal-Organic Frameworks To Develop Microplastic Fouling Resistant Forward Osmosis Membranes, Mitra Golgoli, Javad Farahbakhsh, Abdul H. Asif, Mehdi Khiadani, Amir Razmjou, Michael L. Johns, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

With the gradual increase of microplastics (MPs) in water and wastewater streams, it is imperative to investigate their removal using tertiary treatment systems to minimize and preferably prevent their entrance into aquatic environments. Forward osmosis (FO) is a non-pressurized membrane process with potential applications in MPs removal from wastewater. However, efficient application of FO systems relies on developing high-performance FO membranes with low fouling tendency. MPs are proven as emerging foulants in membrane systems, diminishing their performance and lifetime and this highlights the need to consider MP fouling in developing sustainable membranes. The current study focuses on a novel modification …


Microplastics Fouling And Interaction With Polymeric Membranes: A Review, Mitra Golgoli, Mehdi H. Khiadani, Abdellah Shafieian, Tushar K. Sen, Y. Hartanto, M. L. Johns, Masoumeh Zargar Nov 2021

Microplastics Fouling And Interaction With Polymeric Membranes: A Review, Mitra Golgoli, Mehdi H. Khiadani, Abdellah Shafieian, Tushar K. Sen, Y. Hartanto, M. L. Johns, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The emergence and accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in various aquatic environments have recently raised significant concerns. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as one of the major sources of MPs discharge to the environment, implying a substantial need to improve advanced techniques for more efficient removal of MPs. Polymeric membranes have been proven effective in MPs removal. However, fouling is the main drawback of membrane processes and MPs can foul the membranes due to their small size and specific surface properties. Hence, it is important to investigate the impacts of MPs on membrane fouling to develop efficient membrane-based techniques …