A review on the selectivity of the surfactant as collector for the removal of microplastics using froth flotation / Mohamad Izarul Abdul Aziz

Currently, microplastics (MPs) are considered as emerging pollutants that widespread presence in the hydrosphere, particularly aquatic life, by obstructing light from penetrating the water and impeding the development of aquatic species. Owing to this issue, many efforts have been done to remove this MPs including filtration, enhanced oxidation, biodegradation, magnetic extraction, and adsorption. However, most of this method cause less efficiency toward the removal of MPs in the sediments condition. Consequently, the froth flotation was employed in current research work for the removal of the MPs, where this treatment method used separation of plastic waste based on the on the difference hydrophilicity. The hydrophilicity basically based on the presence of the surfactant knows as a collector in the froth flotation. In this review, regarding by comparing with others method, this method is considered as a new approach for the removal MPs, in depth discussion on the mechanistic of the froth flotation with the presence of the several types of the surfactant was particularly comprehensive described in this work. The previous conventional method also been discussed in detail in order to identified the benefits and drawbacks in the removal of MPs. Lastly, current study using surfactant in the froth flotation for the removal of the MPs was also review in this works. Based on the outcome from the previous research works, the anionic surfactant was chosen to be an excellent surfactant for the removal of MPs using froth flotation as it can be related with the longer chain lengths of anionic surfactant may contribute to a greater hydrophobic interaction between MPs and surfactants.