Investigation of polysaccharides as substitutes for synthetic benchmark materials in wastewater treatment

Abstract

Flocculation aids are polymeric additives to improve solid-liquid separation in wastewater treatment. Established synthetic polymers exhibit low biodegradability and represent microplastic. Alternatives based on bio- polymeric resources are of high interest. Herein, we present a systematic evaluation of flocculant-candidates based on polysaccharides. Due to the high complexity of wastewaters, flocculation mechanisms and characterization thereof, we established model systems to increase knowledge about structural necessities and limitations of a broad scope of bio-based flocculation aids