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Sewage Derived Microplastic and Anthropogenic Fibre Retention by Integrated Constructed Wetlands
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Integrated constructed wetlands were evaluated as a low-cost treatment option for capturing microplastics and anthropogenic fibers from small wastewater treatment plant effluents, offering a promising mitigation strategy where conventional treatment is too expensive.
Abstract High loads of microplastics and anthropogenic fibres can be discharged from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) into surface water bodies. Integrated Constructed Wetlands (ICWs) are potentially well suited to provide a cost-effective mitigation solution at small WWTPs where conventional treatment is prohibitively expensive. This study aimed to assess the microplastic and anthropogenic fibre retention efficiency of two ICWs (Northrepps and Ingoldisthorpe) in Norfolk (UK) over a 12-month period (2022–2023). Analysing a total of 54 water and 23 sediment samples, the findings revealed that Northrepps ICW received on average 349,920 (± 763,776) anthropogenic fibres day −1 , with a retention rate of 99.3%. No seasonal variation was observed in retention efficiency. Ingoldisthorpe ICW intermittently received anthropogenic fibres in low concentrations, with an average of 9504 (± 19,872) day −1 and a retention rate of 100%. Microplastics and anthropogenic fibres were prevalent in sediment samples of the first cell of Northrepps ICW, averaging 10,090 items kg −1 dry sediment, while none were found at concentrations above the limit of detection in the second or third cell. Of the 369 fibres analysed by ATR-FTIR, 55% were plastic (dominated by polyester). Of the 140 suspected microplastic fragments analysed by ATR-FTIR, 73% were confidently identified as plastic (mostly polystyrene, polyethylene, or polypropylene). This study demonstrates how ICWs can effectively retain sewage effluent derived microplastics and anthropogenic fibres. However, the accumulation of plastic waste in ICWs may complicate long term management and their cost-effectiveness.
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Sewage Derived Microplastic and Anthropogenic Fibre Retention by Integrated Constructed Wetlands
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Researchers assessed microplastic and anthropogenic fibre retention efficiency of two integrated constructed wetlands in Norfolk, UK, collecting monthly water samples at inlets and outlets over 12 months to evaluate whether these low-cost treatment systems can effectively reduce MP loads discharged from small wastewater treatment plants.
Microplastic retention by integrated constructed wetlands
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Researchers monitored microplastic retention efficiency at two integrated constructed wetlands in England over 12 months, finding that these nature-based water treatment systems could capture a significant fraction of microplastics from wastewater treatment plant effluent. Constructed wetlands offer a low-cost, ecologically beneficial approach to further reducing microplastic loads before treated water enters rivers.
Retention of microplastics by interspersed lagoons in both natural and constructed wetlands
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Researchers used laboratory wetland models to test how well constructed wetlands with interspersed lagoons and aquatic vegetation can capture microplastic particles from water. Combining vegetated patches with a lagoon achieved microplastic retention rates of up to 99%, suggesting that nature-based wetland designs could be an effective low-cost strategy for filtering microplastics out of wastewater and rivers before they reach the ocean.
Fate and removal of microplastics in unplanted lab-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands
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Laboratory-scale unplanted vertical flow constructed wetlands were shown to remove microplastics from wastewater, with removal efficiency influenced by particle size, shape, and flow rate, highlighting constructed wetlands as a nature-based option for microplastic mitigation.
Microplastic Identification in Domestic Wastewater-Treating Constructed Wetlands and Its Potential Usage in a Circular Economy
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Researchers identified and characterized microplastics in constructed wetlands used for treating domestic wastewater, finding MP accumulation in the substrate and plants and assessing how well these nature-based treatment systems retain plastic particles before effluent is discharged.
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