When technology meets sustainability – microplastic removal from industrial wastewater including impact analysis and life cycle assessment

Microplastics have been widely detected in aquatic environments, with industrial wastewater streams presenting a key hotspot of microplastic contamination. Implementation of measures for microplastic removal which do not significantly burden the environment is crucial. The presented study is based on an environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a novel pilot plant for the removal of microplastics and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) from the wastewater of an industrial plastics processing plant in Germany [1]. Assessing the feasibility of microplastics removal from industrial wastewaters requires a detailed sustainability assessment. So far, very few LCAs have been conducted on microplastic removal technology implementation in such case studies [2]. The analysis considers the implementation of a microplastic removal system using the novel Wasser 3.0 PE-X® approach based on a combination of physical-agglomeration and water-induced chemical fixation using organosilanes [3]. COD removal is further carried out by separating the agglomerates using a belt filter and treating the water through an adsorption process. The assessment considers three distinct scenarios: (I) the status quo with no microplastic treatment, (II) conventional treatment using standard coagulation materials, and (III) optimized treatent using the Wasser 3.0 PE-X® approach. The analysis considers the effects of microplastic and COD release as well as the benefits of additional water reuse and more sustainable removal techniques. The final scenario includes a proposed circular approach for the retained microplastic agglomerates, which can be utilized as a substitute in concrete materials, thereby reducing the need to produce virgin concrete materials. The results are presented as a comparison between the three scenarios, pointing to the benefits provided by an optimized retention system with additional waste re-use. The work provides a full overview of microplastic removal in industrial wastewater streams, particularly related to the implementation of circular practices and new technologies with high retention capabilities. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559473/document