Removal of microplastics by electrocoagulation: A brief review and bibliometric analysis

Abstract

This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis and a brief review of scientific documents addressing the removal of microplastics (PMs) from liquid effluents using electrocoagulation (EC) technology. The search strategy identified 89 papers in Scopus and 61 in WoS. The bibliometric analysis used 105 documents, while the review included 11 articles. The findings indicate a growing interest among researchers in the application of EC for PMs removal, as evidenced by the increasing number of publications in recent years. Many studies focus on the analysis of synthetic samples, identifying current density, pH, salt concentration, electrode spacing, and electrode material as the most influential parameters affecting both efficiency and process costs. Reported operational costs position EC as a competitive technology. However, further studies incorporating maintenance costs and waste management considerations are necessary to assess its economic viability fully. Future research should focus on optimizing operational parameters, investigating the interaction of PMs with other contaminants, scaling up EC systems, and integrating EC with other treatment technologies.