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Evaluation of microplastic load in a waste water treatment plant (WWTP)
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This student project evaluated microplastic loads at a wastewater treatment plant, finding that while high proportions are removed, effluent still contained significant microplastic concentrations. The research provides quantitative data on treatment plant performance for these emerging pollutants.
Production and demand for single-use plastic materials is at an all-time high, resulting in increasing concerns about the proper disposal and end of life treatment of these materials. Plastics can accumulate in the environment and degrade over time into smaller fragments known as microplastics. Microplastics have a diameter of five millimeters (5 mm) or less and can easily be transported across different environmental compartments and trophic levels of the food chain. The aim of this study is to determine the microplastic content of influent, effluent and sludge (watered and de-watered) samples from the WWTP in Cookeville, Tennessee. Grab samples will be collected and passed through three sieves with different mesh sizes. All remaining solids will be digested by wet peroxide oxidation to remove all biological material and separated according to their densities via a saturated sodium chloride solution. Resulting particles will be oven dried, weighed and identified using Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy. Particle sizes will be measured using a laser diffraction particle size analyzer.
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Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs): A Review
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This review examines the occurrence and behavior of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), finding that while WWTPs remove a large proportion of incoming microplastics, they still discharge significant quantities into receiving water bodies daily. The paper calls for improved treatment technologies and better characterization of microplastic types in wastewater streams.
*WINNER* Evaluation of microplastic load in a waste water treatment plant
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Researchers evaluated microplastic removal efficiency at a wastewater treatment plant, finding that while the plant removed the majority of incoming microplastics, substantial quantities escaped in treated effluent. The study provides quantitative data on treatment plant performance for microplastic removal.
Toward a Better Understanding of the Contribution of Wastewater Treatment Plants to Microplastic Pollution in Receiving Waterways
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This review examines how wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) contribute to microplastic pollution in receiving waterways, synthesizing evidence on removal efficiencies of different treatment stages and the characteristics of microplastics that escape into the environment. Researchers found that while WWTPs remove the majority of incoming microplastics, they remain a significant source of microplastic discharge due to the large volumes of wastewater processed daily.
Wastewater treatment plants as pathways of microlitter to the aquatic environment
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This thesis examines wastewater treatment plants as pathways for microlitter — including microplastics — to enter aquatic environments, measuring step-wise removal across treatment stages. While WWTPs remove a large proportion of incoming microplastics, even small residual concentrations in large daily effluent volumes represent a significant ongoing pollution input to waterways.
Micro-plastic Pollution: A Comparative Survey of Wastewater Effluent in New York
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Students from two State University of New York campuses surveyed microplastic concentrations in wastewater treatment plant effluents in New York State, testing the hypothesis that WWTPs are a significant pathway for plastic particles entering waterways. The collaborative study provides regional data on how treatment plant discharges contribute to microplastic pollution.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.