Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID MA-2024-Xing

Sustainable Solutions: Rethinking Microplastics Removal from Wastewater with Upcycled Filtration Materials

Institute: Massachusetts
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $50,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $50,000

Principal Investigators: Baoshan Xing

Project Summary: Microplastics (MPs) pose a significant environmental threat, especially as they often escape treatment in wastewater plants effluent. To address this, we propose utilizing BioCap, a specialized sawdust-derived filter, to capture MPs effectively. Our research involves rigorous testing of BioCap removal efficacy across various MPs types and environmental conditions with the ultimate goal of treating wastewater. Moreover, we aim to enhance sustainability by repurposing spent filters into biochar, a valuable soil amendment to improve soil health. By advancing this innovative approach, we seek to provide actionable insights and practical solutions for mitigating MPs pollution in aquatic ecosystems to improve water quality in Massachusetts and the Northeast (potentially for the whole country), while providing biochar for soil health improvement.