Projects / Programmes
Cavitation - a solution for microplastics degradation?
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.13.07 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Process engineering |
Water power |
| 2.04.03 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Materials science and technology |
Polymer materials |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T270 |
Technological sciences |
Environmental technology, pollution control |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 2.03 |
Engineering and Technology |
Mechanical engineering |
| 2.05 |
Engineering and Technology |
Materials engineering |
microplastics, cavitation, degradation, environment, pollution
Researchers (9)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
08675 |
PhD Alojz Anžlovar |
Materials science and technology |
Researcher |
2019 - 2022 |
182 |
| 2. |
53341 |
PhD Ana Drinčić |
Chemistry |
Researcher |
2020 |
29 |
| 3. |
23471 |
PhD Matevž Dular |
Energy engineering |
Researcher |
2019 - 2022 |
455 |
| 4. |
17162 |
PhD Andrej Kržan |
Materials science and technology |
Researcher |
2019 - 2022 |
341 |
| 5. |
34009 |
Aleš Malneršič |
Process engineering |
Researcher |
2019 - 2021 |
73 |
| 6. |
52221 |
Maša Masič |
|
Technical associate |
2019 - 2020 |
5 |
| 7. |
35069 |
PhD Martin Petkovšek |
Process engineering |
Head |
2019 - 2022 |
132 |
| 8. |
17272 |
Mirjana Širca |
|
Technical associate |
2020 - 2022 |
3 |
| 9. |
33926 |
PhD Mojca Zupanc |
Process engineering |
Researcher |
2021 - 2022 |
77 |
Organisations (2)
Abstract
Microplastic’s contamination of oceans, rivers, and lakes is currently one of the world’s most pressing environmental concerns. We are facing the world’s biggest unprecedented environmental problem - contamination with plastic debris. Since first plastic products were made in 1950’s, the world’s production of various types of plastic has been constantly increasing and in 2015 it reached 320 million tons. Together with mass production and usage, also the burden on the environment is increasing, where plastic debris accumulates in terrestrial and aquatic environmental compartments and most worrying are the one, that are hard to see with a naked eye. The term “microplastics” first appeared in the literature in 2004. In 2008 the size of the particles was defined and it was proposed that the term “microplastics” encompasses small plastic pieces in the size range below 5 mm in diameter. Nowadays, the term microplastics includes broken-down plastic waste, synthetic fibres, tire particles, beads used in personal hygiene products and many other forms. A critical subgroup of microplastics are fibres from textile materials, which originate from domestic washing and are flushed through the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) into the rivers and oceans. It is reported, that a single washing load of 5 kg of polyester fabrics, can release up to several million microfibers, depending on the washing conditions and type of detergent used.
Up to date the scientific community has only been focusing on microplastic’s occurrence and its effects on aquatic ecosystems. No scientific report that deals with how microplastics could be at least partially degraded before entering the natural environment i.e. via WWTPs’ effluents, can be found. Since conventional-biological WWTPs are not designed to retain or degrade microplastics, it is mandatory to upgrade the existing process. Cavitation, an advanced oxidation process, is one of the promising treatment techniques that could be used for this purpose. It is a physical phenomenon, which describes a phase change from liquid to gas and back to homogeneous liquid at approximately constant temperature. It is generated when small vapor bubbles form within the liquid, due to local pressure drop. When the formed bubbles collapse, extreme energies can be released which lead to formation of predominately OH radicals. Cavitation most often occurs on turbine machines, valves and some parts of fuel injection system by internal combustion engines and is an undesirable phenomenon. Despite this, cavitation is nowadays successfully used for surface cleaning, in pharmaceutical industry, in food industry, for medical purposes and nanoparticles preparation.
In the scope of the proposed interdisciplinary project the team of mechanical and chemical engineers will use an advanced technique – cavitation, to perform (one of) the first experiments with microplastics. Nowadays, state of the art (SOTA) is detection of microplastics in the environment but with the proposed interdisciplinary project we will move SOTA to the level, where the potential mechanisms for microplastics degradation will be investigated. Since cavitation can only appear within the liquid, it seems an ideal technology to “attack” the microplastics litter before it enters the aquatic environment (i.e. present in WWTP influents). In this way, by achieving degradation of microplastics at least to a certain degree, its complete degradation in the natural environment would be facilitated and could happen in a shorter time.
The proposed project aims to address the break-up, chemical and mechanical, of one of the world’s currently most critical pollutant for the first time ever on the laboratory scale. The main objective is the investigation of the effects, cavitation will have on microfibres released from synthetic textiles and micro spherical capsules from textile softeners, which both are critical pollutants that come from the domestic washing machines.
Significance for science
To secure integrity of water resources, to prevent the entry and potential adverse effects of microplastics in the environment and to prepare for more severe future legislation regarding WW discharges, investigation of novel non-biological techniques as a precaution seems reasonable. Improvement of conventional biological WWT can be obtained by adopting abiotic technologies that may prove the effect on microplastic degradation. The research of microplastic degradation is currently extremely topical, therefore an efficient technology, such as optimised use of cavitation, would be very welcome to be combined with conventional WWT processes.
The proposed project aims to address the break-up, chemical and mechanical, of one of the world’s currently most critical pollutant for the first time ever on the laboratory scale. We will adapt an existing advanced oxidation process - cavitation in a way that will degrade and oxidise the microplastic litter to a degree that could be more easily “devoured” in WWTP and/or nature. The main objective of the proposed project is the investigation of the effects, cavitation will have on microfibres released from synthetic textiles and micro spherical capsules from textile softeners, which both are critical pollutants that come from the domestic washing machines.
Nowadays, state of the art (SOTA) is detection of microplastics in the environment but with the proposed interdisciplinary project we will move SOTA to the level, where the potential mechanisms for microplastics degradation will be investigated.
It is clear that the scope of cavitation becomes increasingly interesting because of its use as a tool in many processes, especially for the treatment of various types of water and thus when the understanding of the phenomenon itself, and its mechanisms for cleaning, mixing, homogenization, etc. advanced, many processes can be improved and new opportunities can develop for the use of cavitation in the industry.
Significance for the country
To secure integrity of water resources, to prevent the entry and potential adverse effects of microplastics in the environment and to prepare for more severe future legislation regarding WW discharges, investigation of novel non-biological techniques as a precaution seems reasonable. Improvement of conventional biological WWT can be obtained by adopting abiotic technologies that may prove the effect on microplastic degradation. The research of microplastic degradation is currently extremely topical, therefore an efficient technology, such as optimised use of cavitation, would be very welcome to be combined with conventional WWT processes.
The proposed project aims to address the break-up, chemical and mechanical, of one of the world’s currently most critical pollutant for the first time ever on the laboratory scale. We will adapt an existing advanced oxidation process - cavitation in a way that will degrade and oxidise the microplastic litter to a degree that could be more easily “devoured” in WWTP and/or nature. The main objective of the proposed project is the investigation of the effects, cavitation will have on microfibres released from synthetic textiles and micro spherical capsules from textile softeners, which both are critical pollutants that come from the domestic washing machines.
Nowadays, state of the art (SOTA) is detection of microplastics in the environment but with the proposed interdisciplinary project we will move SOTA to the level, where the potential mechanisms for microplastics degradation will be investigated.
It is clear that the scope of cavitation becomes increasingly interesting because of its use as a tool in many processes, especially for the treatment of various types of water and thus when the understanding of the phenomenon itself, and its mechanisms for cleaning, mixing, homogenization, etc. advanced, many processes can be improved and new opportunities can develop for the use of cavitation in the industry.
Most important scientific results
Interim report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
