Hybrid Oxidation of Microplastics with Fenton and Hydrothermal Reactions

Plastic pollution has become a hot topic for researchers due to its ubiquitous presence in the environment. Technologies that can handle microplastics (MPs) in aquatic ecosystems are still emerging and require more research for practical viability. This study demonstrates a hybrid approach that combines the Fenton reaction with a hydrothermal process to oxidize MPs. The system attained a weight loss of 75.15% in 16 h, increasing to 93.79% in 20 h and 98.43% in 24 h. The water contact angle for the unaltered MPs was 86.9 ± 2.3°, which gradually decreased to 53.27 ± 0.8°, which confirmed the insertion of carbonyl and hydroxyl functional groups into the polymer chain and resulted in an increase in their hydrophilicity. The alkyl radical mechanism might initiate the reaction pathway for scissoring of the carbon chain. The reaction filtrate showed no ecotoxicity, meaning that it would be safe enough to be disposed of in the environment. Therefore, this study will provide a basic understanding for the researchers to investigate further the hybrid processes to solve the problem of plastic pollution and to achieve the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goal (Goal No. 14: Life below water).