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The role of grey water footprint in urban wastewater management: from pollution to reuse
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This study evaluated grey water footprint as a qualitative indicator of wastewater impact using eight years of real data from a municipal treatment plant and its receiving water body, demonstrating its utility for tracking wastewater management effectiveness over time.
The grey water footprint (WF), defined as the volume of freshwater required to dilute pollutants below ambient water quality standards, has gained increasing relevance as a qualitative indicator of wastewater impact on receiving water bodies (RWB). This study evaluates the WF using real data from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and its associated RWB over an eight-year period (2016-2023). A wide range of pollutants were considered, including organic compounds, solids, nutrients, and heavy metals. The analysis considered three scenarios: (a) untreated wastewater discharge, (b) treated effluent discharge, and (c) treated wastewater reuse for agricultural purposes. Results indicate that the WWTP significantly reduces pollutant loads, with scenario (b) showing an average 8-fold decrease in WF compared to scenario (a). Ammonium (in scenario (a)) and phosphorus (in scenario (b)) emerged as the primary contributors to WF, highlighting the limited phosphorus removal due to the absence of dedicated chemical or biological treatments. Lead was found to be the most impactful heavy metal in several instances, underlining the importance of monitoring low-concentrated contaminants. Ammonium and total nitrogen showed the highest removal efficiency, whereas phosphorus removal was relatively inefficient, reinforcing the need for future plant upgrades. Furthermore, the reuse scenario (c) demonstrated the potential of nutrient-rich treated effluent for irrigation, particularly during dry summer months, offering dual benefits of pollution reduction and resource recovery. Overall, WF proved to be a robust and accessible indicator for evaluating WWTP performance, identifying critical pollutants, guiding plant optimization, and supporting sustainable discharge and reuse strategies. Future developments should expand monitoring to emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, microplastics, and additional heavy metals to ensure comprehensive environmental protection.
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Quantifying microplastics and their retention in greywater treatment systems of different scales
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Your household wastewater from sinks, showers, and laundry (called "greywater") contains tiny plastic particles that wash off clothes and other products—and this study found that certain filtration systems using materials like biochar, gravel, and wetland-style setups can trap over 99% of these microplastics before the water gets reused or released into the environment. This matters because as more communities recycle greywater to conserve water, having effective filtration means fewer microplastics end up back in our environment and water supply, where they could eventually make their way into what we drink and eat.
Treated greywater reuse for sustainable landscape irrigation in cities with water scarcity
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Recycling household wastewater (like from showers and sinks) to water lawns and parks could help water-scarce cities save a precious resource, according to this review of existing studies. But the right level of treatment matters a lot: water from kitchens or laundry needs stronger filtering to remove grease, chemicals and germs before it is safe to use. Scientists still don't know enough about whether things like drug residues, microplastics or antibiotic-resistant bacteria might build up in soil or groundwater over time, so more long-term testing is needed before this becomes routine.
Microplásticos em água cinza
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This study examined microplastic contamination in greywater (household wastewater from washing), finding that laundry and personal care product use introduce significant quantities of microplastics into domestic wastewater streams. The research highlights greywater as an underexamined pathway of microplastic release into water systems.
Water circularity index: A novel approach for authorities and operators
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This paper proposes a novel water circularity index that evaluates both quantity and quality dimensions of water use across an entire usage cycle, going beyond traditional single-metric efficiency frameworks. The index is intended to help water authorities and operators assess and optimize the circular use of water resources in integrated systems.
Microplastics in greywater from households, a residential building, and an urban city district
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Every time you shower, do laundry, or wash dishes, the wastewater ("greywater") that goes down the drain carries tiny plastic particles called microplastics with it. This study measured how much of this plastic pollution comes from homes and city buildings, and tested whether filter systems designed to clean this water before it's reused or released into the environment can actually catch these particles. Understanding this matters because greywater is increasingly being recycled for things like irrigation, so knowing whether treatment systems can filter out microplastics helps determine if we're inadvertently spreading plastic pollution back into our water and food systems.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.