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Evaluation of Dynamics and Total Emission of Microplastics at Wastewater Treatment Plants with Oxidation Ditches
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This Japanese study measured microplastic dynamics and total emission quantities at five wastewater treatment plants using oxidation ditch technology. Secondary treatment removed on average 92% of microplastics by count and 90.6% by mass, with most captured microplastics concentrated in sewage sludge rather than the effluent.
オキシデーションディッチ法(OD法)の汚水処理施設におけるマイクロプラスチック(MPs)の動態および排出量を把握する目的で5か所の施設で調査を行った．長軸径0.5mm以上5mm未満の放流個数密度は2.0～4.5×10個/m3，質量密度は1.87×10-2～7.72mg/m3であった．下水処理プロセスにおいてMPsは細分化されて個数が増加するが，そのほとんどが汚泥とともに搬出されていることが明らかになった．また，OD法二次処理での平均個数除去率は92%，質量除去率は90.6%であり，砂ろ過での平均個数除去率は87%，質量除去率は96.7%であった．日本でOD法を採用している下水処理場全体でのMPs年間総排出量を推算した結果，長軸径0.5mm以上5mm未満のMPs年間個数排出量は1.4×1010個/年，質量排出量は1.16×103kg/年であり，長軸径1mm以上5mm未満の個数排出量は7.9×109個/年，質量排出量は1.11×103kg/年であった．
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[Characterization of Microplastic Removal Rate Variation in the Whole Process of Urban Wastewater Plant with Conventional Oxidation Ditch Process].
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Researchers characterized microplastic removal rates across each treatment stage of an urban wastewater treatment plant in Handan, northern China, using a conventional oxidation ditch process, finding that WWTPs are major conduits for MPs entering natural water bodies and identifying which treatment steps achieve the greatest removal.
Fate of Microplastic Pollution Along the Water and Sludge Lines in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants
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Researchers evaluated microplastic abundance and distribution across three municipal wastewater treatment plants using different treatment technologies. The study found that all three plants achieved greater than 97% microplastic removal along the water treatment line, with microplastics concentrating in the sludge fraction, underscoring the important role of sludge treatment in sequestering microplastics from wastewater.
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This review examined how well wastewater treatment plants remove microplastics, finding that most conventional systems achieve high removal rates but still discharge significant plastic quantities in treated effluent and sludge. Improving treatment efficiency and preventing sludge application to farmland are key strategies for reducing microplastic release.
Treatment characteristics of microplastics at biological sewage treatment facilities in Korea
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A study of two biological sewage treatment facilities in South Korea found that microplastics were present in influent at high concentrations but that treatment removed 80-95% of particles, with sludge as the main repository for retained microplastics. The results confirm that while treatment significantly reduces microplastic discharge, effluent still releases large numbers of particles into receiving waters.
Behavior and flow of microplastics during sludge treatment in Japan
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Sampling of two Osaka wastewater treatment plants found microplastics at every stage of the sludge treatment process, with 13 polymer types identified; concentration increased through dewatering, but the total MP load in final biosolids was lower than in raw sludge.
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