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Occurrence, characteristics and removal of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants with different treatment processes
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Wastewater treatment plants in Poland were found to remove about 95-99% of microplastic particles from sewage before it's released into rivers and streams, with most of the trapped plastic ending up concentrated in the leftover sludge. That's good news since it means treatment plants are catching most microplastics before they reach waterways, but it also means the sludge, which is sometimes used as fertilizer on farmland, may need more scrutiny to prevent these particles from re-entering the environment and, potentially, our food supply.
Occurrence and Removal of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics accumulate in wastewater treatment plants and how effectively current treatment technologies remove them, finding that while plants capture most microplastics, significant quantities still pass through into receiving waterways with each discharge cycle.
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Researchers reviewed the sources, transport pathways, and fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants, finding that while treatment removes the majority of particles, daily effluent discharges still release hundreds of millions of microplastics to the environment, and COVID-19 personal protective equipment has emerged as a significant additional source.
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Wastewater treatment plants remove most microplastics (tiny plastic bits smaller than a grain of rice) from sewage before releasing water back into rivers and streams, catching over 90% of plastic fibers and beads, but they're much worse at filtering out plastic foil fragments, removing less than half. This matters because the plastic particles that slip through end up in the waterways that supply our drinking water and ecosystems, meaning even well-functioning treatment plants aren't a complete solution to keeping microplastics out of the environment (and ultimately, our bodies).
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Researchers evaluated how effectively wastewater treatment plants remove microplastics before releasing water into the environment, finding that while some removal occurs, treatment plants were never designed for this purpose and remain a significant pathway for microplastics to enter aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
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