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Microplastic sampling from wastewater treatment plant effluents: Best-practices and synergies between thermoanalytical and spectroscopic analysis
Water Research2022
34 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 40
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Mohammed Al-Azzawi,
Mohammed Al-Azzawi,
Mohammed Al-Azzawi,
Mohammed Al-Azzawi,
Mohammed Al-Azzawi,
Oliver Jacob,
Oliver Jacob,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Natalia P. Ivleva
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Elisabeth von der Esch,
Elisabeth von der Esch,
Elisabeth von der Esch,
Matin Funck,
Matin Funck,
Elisabeth von der Esch,
Elisabeth von der Esch,
Elisabeth von der Esch,
Matin Funck,
Matin Funck,
Mohammed Al-Azzawi,
Elisabeth von der Esch,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Martin Elsner,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Martin Elsner,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Oliver Jacob,
Marco Kunaschk,
Mohammed Al-Azzawi,
Oliver Knoop,
Matin Funck,
Elisabeth von der Esch,
Matin Funck,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Natalia P. Ivleva
Elisabeth von der Esch,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Oliver Knoop,
Martin Elsner,
Oliver Knoop,
Jörg E. Drewes,
Elisabeth von der Esch,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Martin Elsner,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Jörg E. Drewes,
Marco Kunaschk,
Marco Kunaschk,
Martin Elsner,
Marco Kunaschk,
Marco Kunaschk,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Martin Elsner,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Martin Elsner,
Elisabeth von der Esch,
Elisabeth von der Esch,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Natalia P. Ivleva
Natalia P. Ivleva
Jörg E. Drewes,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Jörg E. Drewes,
Martin Elsner,
Oliver Knoop,
Korbinian P. Freier,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Natalia P. Ivleva
Natalia P. Ivleva
Oliver Jacob,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Martin Elsner,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Oliver Knoop,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Natalia P. Ivleva
Jörg E. Drewes,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Natalia P. Ivleva
Martin Elsner,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Natalia P. Ivleva
Natalia P. Ivleva
Jochen Tuerk,
Elisabeth von der Esch,
Korbinian P. Freier,
Jörg E. Drewes,
Jörg E. Drewes,
Elisabeth von der Esch,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Martin Elsner,
Oliver Knoop,
Martin Elsner,
Jörg E. Drewes,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Natalia P. Ivleva
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Oliver Knoop,
Jochen Tuerk,
Jörg E. Drewes,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Natalia P. Ivleva
Jörg E. Drewes,
Jochen Tuerk,
Jochen Tuerk,
Martin Elsner,
Martin Elsner,
Jochen Tuerk,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Jochen Tuerk,
Jochen Tuerk,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Martin Elsner,
Korbinian P. Freier,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Oliver Knoop,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Jochen Tuerk,
Jörg E. Drewes,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Natalia P. Ivleva
Jochen Tuerk,
Natalia P. Ivleva
Summary
Researchers developed best-practice protocols for microplastic sampling from wastewater treatment plant effluents using cascade filtration across size classes from 10 to 5,000 micrometers, combining thermoanalytical and spectroscopic methods for complementary analysis. All analytical techniques consistently identified polyethylene as the dominant polymer in effluents, and the study validated PE as a useful surrogate polymer for assessing tertiary sand filter removal efficiency.
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) may represent point sources for microplastic discharge into the environment. Quantification of microplastic in effluents of WWTPs has been targeted by several studies although standardized methods are missing to enable a comparability of results. This study discusses theoretical and practical perspectives on best practices for microplastic sampling campaigns of WWTPs. One focus of the study was the potential for synergies between thermoanalytical and spectroscopic analysis to gain more representative sampling using the complementary information provided by the different analytical techniques. Samples were obtained before and after sand filtration from two WWTPs in Germany using cascade filtration with size classes of 5,000 - 100 µm, 100 - 50 µm, and 50 - 10 µm. For spectroscopic methods samples were treated by a Fenton process to remove natural organic matter, whereas TED-GC-MS required only sample extraction from the filter cascade. µFTIR spectroscopy was used for the 100 µm and 50 µm basket filters and µRaman spectroscopy was applied to analyze particles on the smallest basket filter (10 µm). TED-GC-MS was used for all size classes as it is size independent. All techniques showed a similar trend, where PE was consistently the most prominent polymer in WWTP effluents. Based on this insight, PE was chosen as surrogate polymer to investigate whether it can describe the total polymer removal efficiency of tertiary sand filters. The results revealed no significant difference (ANOVA) between retention efficiencies of tertiary sand filtration obtained using only PE and by analyzing all possible polymers with µFTIR and µRaman spectroscopy. Findings from this study provide valuable insights on advantages and limitations of cascade filtration, the benefit of complementary analyses, a suitable design for future experimental approaches, and recommendations for future investigations.