Impact Of Solidification Rate Of Magnetic Food Oils On Microplastic Extraction From Polluted Water
2025 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 15 credits / 22,5 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Microplastics(MPs) are tiny plastic particles that have become a serious problem in our water bodies, harming both wildlife and potentially humans. Traditional ways of removing these plastics can be expensive, inefficient, or harmful to the environment. In this study, we explored a new, natural approach using a mix of edible oils like coconut and rapeseed, combined with beeswax and tiny magnetic particles. This mixture stays liquid just long enough to grab onto MPs before it hardens, making it easy to pull out using a magnet. We found that the time the oil stays liquid, called the dwell time, is key for trapping MPs effectively. The best results came from a mix with about 10% magnetic oil, which balanced catching plastics well and being easy to collect. Using too much oil caused the mixture to sink, which isn’t good for the environment. Compared to other methods like filters or chemical treatments, this magnetic oil approach is cheaper, biodegradable, and works well, especially in calm waters like lakes. In the future, we hope to improve this method by testing it in real water environments and using drones to spread and collect the magnetic oil more safely and efficiently.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 28
Keywords [en]
microplastics, magnetic oil, environmental remediation, coconut oil, rapeseed oil, beeswax, solidification rate, dwell time, microplastic removal, ferrofluids, biodegradable materials, water pollution, nanoparticle synthesis, drone-assisted cleanup, eco-friendly water treatment
National Category
Earth and Related Environmental Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-56410OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hh-56410DiVA, id: diva2:1969503
Subject / course
Environmental Science
Educational program
Master's Programme in Applied Environmental Science
Supervisors
Examiners
2025-06-192025-06-152025-10-01Bibliographically approved