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Occurrence and Characteristics of Microplastics in a Wastewater Treatment Plant
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Researchers sampled the inflow, outflow, and sludge of a Chinese wastewater treatment plant, finding up to 44 microplastic particles per liter in incoming water — mostly polyester fibers. The plant removed about 96% of microplastics, but the remaining fraction was still discharged into receiving waterways.
Large quantities of microplastics (MPs) are discharged into the hydrosphere via the municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) as an important route. Herein, we sampled the influent, effluent and sludge of WWTP in order to investigate the abundance, size, type, and shape of MPs. The detected MPs were primarily in the shape of fiber with the abundance up to 44 particles per liter. Polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polyethylene were found to be the three largest types of MPs. MPs in the influent was effectively eliminated with a removal efficiency of ~ 96%. However, a large quantity of MPs was still discharged in the effluent and the excess sludge, approximately 2.87 × 10 particles per day, indicating that some specific control facilities should be installed at WWTP to minimize the environmental impacts of MPs.
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Occurrence and Removal of Microplastics in Tertiary Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Case Study of Three Plants in Zhengzhou, China
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Researchers studied microplastic occurrence and removal efficiency at three wastewater treatment plants in Zhengzhou, China. The study found influent concentrations ranging from 147 to 289 particles per liter, with removal efficiencies between 76% and 91%, indicating that while treatment plants significantly reduce microplastic levels, substantial quantities still pass through to receiving waters.
Spatiotemporal Distribution Characteristics and Removal Efficiency of Microplastics in a Wastewater Treatment Plant
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Researchers examined microplastic removal efficiency across three seasons at a wastewater treatment plant in Zhengzhou, China, sampling influent, process effluent, and final effluent. They found an overall removal efficiency of 86%, with polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate as the dominant polymer types and fragment- and granule-shaped particles comprising over 80% of microplastics detected.
Microplastic abundance, characteristics, and removal in wastewater treatment plants in a coastal city of China
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Researchers studied microplastic contamination across seven wastewater treatment plants in the coastal Chinese city of Xiamen and found that while treatment removed the vast majority of particles, the remaining microplastics still entered coastal waters in significant quantities due to high effluent volumes. Fibers and fragments were the most common microplastic types detected. The study underscores that wastewater treatment plants are both a barrier to and a source of marine microplastic pollution.
Effects of different treatment processes in four municipal wastewater treatment plants on the transport and fate of microplastics
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Researchers investigated microplastic transport and fate across four municipal wastewater treatment plants in southeastern China, finding that different treatment processes varied in their microplastic removal efficiency, with fibers and fragments as the dominant types.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.