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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.
Natural wetlands, the transitional zones found between the land and the sea, are considered hot spots for plastic accumulation. Constructed wetlands (CW) attempt to mimic these natural wetlands in order to provide potential Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for reducing microplastic (MP) contamination in wastewater treatment plants, and mitigating MP pollution in rivers. In this work, the role played by an interspersed lagoon surrounded by aquatic vegetation (Juncus Maritimus) in retaining MP was investigated using experimental laboratory simulations. Four MP types (125–500 μm and 500–1000 μm PA fragments, 2 mm PET fibers and 5 mm PET fibers) along with suspended sediments were injected into the model wetland to study their transport throughout the system. Five different vegetated patch lengths surrounding the lagoon were considered (LP). Results showed that aquatic vegetation protected wetlands from PA fragments and PET fibers by increasing the dispersion of the particle-laden flow and consequently MP sedimentation. When the use of vegetated patches was coupled with an interspersed lagoon, MP retention rates were maximized (with total percentages of 88 ± 3 % and 99 ± 1.5 % for PA fragments and PET fibers, respectively), suggesting that CW are a potential NBS for trapping MP pollution from specific sources.
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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.
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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.
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Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence and fate across full-scale treatment wetlands, finding that constructed wetlands effectively remove a significant proportion of MPs from wastewater but that removal efficiency varies with wetland design and MP characteristics.
Distribution and fate of microplastics in a laboratory surface-flow constructed wetland
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Researchers tracked how different types of microplastics (polyethylene microbeads, rubber fragments, and plastic fibers) were distributed and retained in a laboratory-scale constructed wetland planted with aquatic macrophytes. The plants and substrate effectively trapped microplastics, suggesting constructed wetlands can provide additional removal of plastic particles beyond conventional wastewater treatment.
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Researchers investigated microplastic retention in a full-scale surface flow treatment wetland receiving municipal wastewater, measuring microplastic concentrations in inflow, outflow, and atmospheric deposition, and finding significant retention within the wetland. Treatment wetlands represent a potential nature-based solution for reducing microplastic discharge to receiving water bodies.
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