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Characteristics of Microplastic Content and Discharge Estimation at a Wastewater Treatment Plant in City G
Original title: G시 하수처리장의 미세플라스틱 함유량 특성과 배출량 추정
Summary
This Korean study characterized microplastic concentrations and types in a wastewater treatment plant in G city, estimating the annual discharge load of microplastics to the receiving water environment. Researchers found that while the plant removed over 90% of incoming microplastics, the large influent volume still resulted in significant microplastic discharge. The study highlights the need for improved microplastic removal in wastewater treatment infrastructure.
Microplastics (MP) are small plastic particles in the environment. MP are plastics smaller than 5 mm and main sources are from cosmetic products, laundry, industrial processes and sewage treatment plant. MP that generated from use of people mainly enter sewage treatment plants. Although MP were removed from the final effluent more than 90%, large amount of MP are flow into the sewage treatment plant, lots of untreated MP is being discharged into the water environment. MP entering the water environment adversely affect the ecosystem due to adsorbed persistent organic pollutants (POPs) substances in MP and chemical susbstance added during plastic production. In order to confirm sewage treatment recudtion rate in G city, each sewage treatment process and sludge were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively and estimate the amount of microplastics flow out into the environment. As a result of the analysis, 595.4 MP/L in sewage influent and 13.1 MP/L in the final effluent and the reduction efficiency was 97.8%. Microplastics contained in the final sludge were 70,571 MP/kg. Untreated microplastics from sewage treatment plant flowing into the river is 2,371 million per day, and it is possible to 811,566,500 microplastics were recycled to fertilizer, it can be leaked into the soil.