Solution Scope: Water Treatment Plant Systems

Target Contaminant: Plastics and Other Litter 

Solution Provider or Contact Point: Fish Flow  

Project: InNoPlastic – Innovative Approaches Towards Prevention, Removal and Reuse of Marine Plastic Litter

ITS Description: FishFlow has developed and built a full–scale pilot of an Archimedean drum screw screen which was initially intended for jelly fish removal. It works as a screen allowing 90% of the water flow to pass through while catching (plastic) debris, (jelly) fish and seaweed. Simple tailoring would allow this solution to be suitable for macro and possibly micro plastic debris removal. Screen sizes can range between 1 meter to 18 µm. The predominant underlying mechanism in removal of microplastics as well as other organic materials is charging neutralization of the microplastics, leading to flocculation and ultimately phase separation. This is a known process commonly used in drinking water applications.  This solution is an environmentally friendly, biodegradable flocculant formulation which can efficiently bridge the gap between other technologies, increasing the size of microplastic flocs or aggregates above the threshold required for removal via sieve technology.

Correspondence with BMM OIR (sectoral priorities, R&I activities, gaps, needs): This ITS responds to a R&I focus area of activity in elimination & remediation of plastics pollution, namely by addressing the development of new technologies for the removal of macro- and micro-plastics. It also responds to the challenge listed in the BMM OIR for the wastewater and solid waste management sectors and the plastic industry in responding to the need for new remediation technologies.