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My experience determining the best material to design a filtration component that efficiently captures and removes microplastics
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Subject Matter Expert
Develop a filtration component for a wastewater treatment plant that efficiently captures and removes microplastics (10–20 µm) from large volumes of water.
Timeline: Jan, 2025 - Feb, 2025
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Problem Statement: The city of Hamilton requires a improved filtration system to meet Provincial regulation standards by optimizing removal of microplastics and microbeads between 10-20 μm from the wastewater. These contaminants are found from personal care products and common polymers (e.g. Polyesters, polyamide and acrylics), significantly threatening organisms in aquatic ecosystems to ingest. The large urban population of Hamilton contributes to growing microplastic levels in the environment which result in approximately one microplastic per liter in effluent released into nearby river. The new filtration design must effectively remove micro-contaminates, regulate flow, and proper collection of waste and valuable sources. Moreover, the filter aims to be environmentally friendly, resistant to high forces and integrable into the existing filtration system. The resulting water must be suitable for human use, and the facility must follow environmental regulations and be able to handle vast volumes of water.
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Figure 1. Polypropylene, final selected material
