Visible light photocatalytic degradation of polypropylene microplastics in a continuous water flow system

Abstract Microplastic pollution of water and ecosystem is attracting continued attention worldwide. Due to their small sizes (≤5 mm) microplastic particles can be discharged the environment from treated wastewater effluents. As microplastics have polluted most our aquatic ecosystems, often finding its way into drinking water, there urgent need find new solutions for tackling menace pollution. In this work, sustainable green photocatalytic removal activated by visible light proposed as a tool water. We propose novel strategy elimination using glass fiber substrates trap low density such polypropylene (PP) which in parallel support photocatalyst material. Photocatalytic degradation PP spherical suspended irradiation zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) immobilized onto fibers flow through system demonstrated. Upon two weeks under reduced led reduction average particle volume 65%. The major photodegradation by-products were identified GC/MS found molecules that are considered mostly nontoxic literature.