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Presence of Microplastic in Erzurum Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant
Summary
Researchers investigated microplastic presence at the inlet and outlet of the Erzurum Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant in Turkey, finding average concentrations of 36,400 MP/m3 in influent and 2,875 MP/m3 in effluent. Tertiary treatment achieved over 90% removal efficiency, while primary and secondary treatment alone proved insufficient for effective microplastic removal.
The rapid increase in the number of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments reveals the risk of increasing their harmful effects on living life. MPs, especially those with smaller particle sizes, are very difficult to detect and measure when they reach the aquatic environment. This study investigated the presence of microplastics at the entrance and exit points of the Erzurum Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant. The results showed that the average number of MPs in the influent and effluent was 36400 MP/m3 and 2875 MP/m3, respectively. Primary and secondary treatment processes cannot provide high removal efficiencies in removing MPs from wastewater. However, in WWTPs where tertiary treatment is carried out, as in the WWTP examined, the removal efficiency exceeds 90%.
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