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Microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: A review of the occurrence, removal, impact on ecosystem, and abatement measures
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Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Occurrence, Fate and Mitigation Strategies
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Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are major conduits for microplastics into the environment, yet even advanced treatment systems fail to fully remove the smallest particles before discharge. Understanding microplastic fate across treatment stages is essential for developing targeted mitigation strategies that reduce the tonnage of plastic particles entering rivers, soils, and ultimately the food supply.
Prevalence of microplastics and fate in wastewater treatment plants: a review
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Researchers reviewed the sources, transport pathways, and fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants, finding that while treatment removes the majority of particles, daily effluent discharges still release hundreds of millions of microplastics to the environment, and COVID-19 personal protective equipment has emerged as a significant additional source.
Occurrence and Removal of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics accumulate in wastewater treatment plants and how effectively current treatment technologies remove them, finding that while plants capture most microplastics, significant quantities still pass through into receiving waterways with each discharge cycle.
Transport and fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: implications to environmental health
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Researchers reviewed how wastewater treatment plants act as pathways for microplastics entering terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, finding that treated effluents carry both microplastic particles and associated chemical and biological contaminants into the broader environment.
Efficiency of microplastics removal in selected wastewater treatment plants – preliminary studies
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Wastewater treatment plants in Poland were found to remove about 95-99% of microplastic particles from sewage before it's released into rivers and streams, with most of the trapped plastic ending up concentrated in the leftover sludge. That's good news since it means treatment plants are catching most microplastics before they reach waterways, but it also means the sludge, which is sometimes used as fertilizer on farmland, may need more scrutiny to prevent these particles from re-entering the environment and, potentially, our food supply.
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