We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastic in Danish wastewater: Sources, occurrences and fate
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers evaluated the role of Danish wastewater treatment plants in microplastic emissions by analyzing samples from 10 WWTPs, associated sludge, and farmland soils using FTIR imaging, identifying the amounts, polymer types, and potential sources of microplastics entering the environment.
The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the role of Danish wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the emission of microplastic to the environment in terms of amounts and types of plastic polymers emitted and if possible, to evaluate which sources these plastic polymers could originate from. Samples from 10 WWTPs (wastewater, inlet and outlet), sludge from 5 of these plants, and 10 farmlands soils (5 soils that had received sludge as fertilizer and 5 that had not) were analysed for the occurrences of microplastic with the currently most advanced method available for microplastic investigations (Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy imaging applying a Focal Plane Array). This method allows both determination of the microplastic concentrations in the samples and identification of the type of plastic polymer of each microplastic particle.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics in the effluent of a German wastewater treatment plant ‒ analysis with μ-FTIR spectroscopy
AI summary Read the abstract
A German wastewater treatment plant was found to release microplastics in its treated effluent, with fibers as the dominant type. The study used detailed chemical characterization and identified wastewater plants as ongoing point sources of microplastic pollution entering aquatic environments.
Microplastics monitoring in different environments: separation, physicochemical characterization, and quantification
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers systematically monitored microplastic contamination across multiple environments including a wastewater treatment plant, surrounding water bodies, and soils near plastic factories, characterizing shape, size, color, and polymer composition via microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. They found fragments and fibers to be the most common microplastic shapes in water environments and documented simultaneous contamination across all sampled matrices.
Microplastic Monitoring at Different Stages in a Wastewater Treatment Plant Using Reflectance Micro-FTIR Imaging
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used reflectance micro-FTIR imaging to monitor microplastic presence at multiple treatment stages within a wastewater treatment plant, addressing the challenge of analyzing MPs in biogenic organic matter-rich matrices. The study mapped how microplastic identity, abundance, and size distribution changed through primary and secondary treatment, providing insight into WWTP contributions to aquatic microplastic pollution.
Microplastics in two German wastewater treatment plants: Year-long effluent analysis with FTIR and Py-GC/MS
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers analyzed microplastics in the effluents of two German wastewater treatment plants monthly over one year, revealing temporal variations in microplastic concentrations and polymer compositions entering receiving river systems.
Microplastics in Estonian wastewater treatment plants: First evaluation of baseline concentrations and stage-wise removal efficiency
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers sampled six Estonian wastewater treatment plants to establish baseline microplastic concentrations in influents and effluents and assess stage-wise removal efficiency. At least 78% of microscopically identified MPs were confirmed by µFTIR spectroscopy, with at least 50% removed during secondary treatment, providing the first baseline data for Estonian WWTP microplastic discharge into the Baltic Sea.
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.