Suganeeswaran Mohanakrishanan, Nik Harnida Suhainai, Nor Aliya Hamizi, Mohd Rafie Johan, Irwan Nurdin, Syazwan Hanani Meriam Suhaimy, Nik Hassanuddin Nik Yusoff, Asmalina Mohamed Saat
In recent times, oil spills and microplastic pollution have become major environmental concerns due to their significant impact on ecosystems. Therefore, appropriate measures should be implemented to prevent or minimise such pollution in the future. In this study, the functionalised nanoparticles (FNPs), synthesised using phenyl phosphonic acid (PAPh), were employed to remove oil and microplastic from seawater in laboratory scale. This technique is cost-effective and facilitates the easy recovery of oil spills without causing additional pollution. The development of hydrophobic materials with magnetic properties, capable of serving as adsorbents for both oil spills and microplastics, presents an intriguing challenge. Iron oxide was functionalised with phenyl phosphonic acid (an organic acid) to produce a hydrophobic and oleophilic sorbent material for oil extraction. The performance of the functionalised iron oxide nanoparticles (FNPs) demonstrated superior extraction efficiency for engine oil compared to mineral oil. The oil extraction rate remained consistent over seven consecutive extraction cycles. Extraction efficiencies for engine oil and microfibres from seawater were recorded at 74.2 and 95.5%, respectively. These findings confirm that FNPs enhance oil absorption capacity and reusability. Moreover, they demonstrate that FNPs can be effectively utilised to clean and collect both oil spills and microplastics from marine environments, thereby contributing to the sustainability of the ocean ecosystem. © 2025 Science and Technology Research Institute for Defence (STRIDE). All rights reserved.
Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Institute of Marine Engineering Technology (UniKL-MIMET), Malaysia; Nanotechology and Catalysis Research Centre, University Malaya, Malaysia; Chemical Engineering Department, Politeknik Negeri Lhokseumawe, Indonesia; Department of Physics and Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn (UTHM), Malaysia; Science & Technology Research Institute for Defence (STRIDE), Ministry of Defence, Malaysia
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