Publication: The role of polyionic liquid in microplastic aggregation in penang national park seawater
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Date
2025-08-01
Authors
Muhammad Nifail Junaidi
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Abstract
Microplastic (MP) pollution along the Southeast Asian coast threatens marine ecosystems and public health, yet effective removal technologies in high ionic strength seawater remain limited. This study evaluates two novel polymeric ionic liquids (PILs)—PIBSA–TPD and PIBSA–ImTFB—as coagulant-flocculants for aggregating polystyrene (PS) and polypropylene (PP) microplastics in natural seawater from Penang National Park. Both PILs were synthesized via ionic moiety grafting onto the PIBSA backbone and characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Experiments were conducted under varying PIL dosages (10–100 mg/L), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) concentrations (1–5 wt%), and natural ionic conditions. Colloidal stability was assessed through zeta potential and electrophoretic mobility, while aggregation kinetics and floc size distribution were evaluated using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and turbidity reduction (PDA 2000). Results showed that both PILs significantly neutralized electrostatic charges (ζ from –30 mV to ±5 mV) and promoted hydrophobic interactions. Compared to industry-standard polyaluminum chloride (PAC), the PILs formed flocs more rapidly, with larger aggregates that settled faster. This study addresses a key knowledge gap in MP removal using PILs under high ionic strength conditions and highlights the synergistic role of SDS in enhancing floc stability. PIBSA-derived PILs, especially when combined with low SDS concentrations, present a tunable and scalable platform for seawater microplastic
removal.