Photocatalytic Degradation of Microplastics: Parameters Affecting Degradation

Abstract

Recently, microplastics have emerged as a major environmental pollutant and have been documented globally. Several studies have shown that microplastics can accumulate heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants as they pass through the environment due to their functional groups interacting with and complex these substances. While conventional wastewater treatment methods can reduce a significant amount of microplastics, many still make their way into rivers and oceans worldwide from their effluents. One of the promising approaches to wastewater cleaning is photocatalysis. Although it has demonstrated a great potential for microplastic degradation, most trials are still lab-based and need to be scaled up for actual use. A crucial factor in determining the technology's capital cost for practical implementation is having a solid grasp of the kinetics and rate of degradation. In order to scale up the approach, it is necessary to optimize several operational parameters, such as surface area, temperature, the impact of pH, and light. This research examines various developed photocatalysts for the breakdown of microplastics. An in-depth understanding of the best variables for future designs of photocatalytic degradation of microplastic for industrial applications will result from analyzing these variables.