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Microplastics in wastewaters: Pretreatment to detection trail
Summary
This review examines how microplastics enter and move through wastewater treatment systems, from their origins to detection methods. Researchers analyzed the relationship between the physical and thermal properties of microplastics and the pretreatment techniques used to separate them from organic matter for analysis. The study highlights the urgent need for standardized sampling and analysis protocols to enable consistent comparisons of microplastic contamination across different wastewater treatment facilities.
Wastewater (WW) systems have been recognized as crucial pathways for microplastics (MPs) to enter different environmental compartments. Beginning with the origins and routes of microplastic contamination in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), this review investigates the distribution and transport of MPs with WW effluent and WW sludge (WWS). The intricate relationships between the physio-thermal properties of MPs and their influence on pretreatment techniques employed to eliminate organic matter interference have received attention. MP properties such as the type, size, shape, density, softening point, and melting point are crucial in determining their separation and concentration for advanced analysis. This review also addresses the need for standardized protocols to explore efficient pretreatment methods that leverage these properties to enhance the separation of MPs from the WW complex matrix for accurate analysis. Through a critical assessment of the literature, the insights highlighted in this manuscript navigate the journey from pretreatment to detection in WW and how it affects their overall analyzes.
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