Occurrence and removal of microplastics in a municipal wastewater treatment plant with conventional activated sludge process: A case study in Isfahan, Iran
Journal Title: Environmental Health Engineering and Management Journal - Year 2023, Vol 10, Issue 1
Abstract
Background: Microplastics (MPs) are nowadays found in the air and in various terrestrial and aquatic environments and have become emerging pollutants. These particles can absorb other chemicals and microbial contaminants and release them into the environment and food chain. Despite the high efficiency of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in removing MPs, WWTPs are still one of the major sources of MPs discharge to the environment. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of MPs removal in a municipal WWTP with conventional activated sludge in Iran. Methods: MPs particles were counted using a stereomicroscope after the initial preparation steps (sieving, chemical digestion with the catalytic wet peroxidation-oxidation and density separation with NaCl) and then analyzed for particle composition using a Raman micro-spectrometer. Results: MPs concentration in the influent, grit chamber, primary sedimentation tank, and effluent were 843.2 ± 147.5, 315.5 ± 54.7, 80.2 ± 19.1, and 11.13 ± 3.14 items/L, respectively. The overall MPs removal efficiency of the WWTP was 98.7%, with the grit chamber, primary sedimentation tank, and secondary sedimentation tank removed 62.6%, 27.9%, and 8.2% of the total MPs, respectively. The most abundant polymers were polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). Conclusion: Despite the effective removal of MPs in WWTP, on average 4.47 × 1011 ± 1.03 × 1011 MPs are discharged into the receiving waters through the effluent of this WWTP annually. This means that WWTPs can be one of the major sources of MPs in the environment and efforts should be made to increase the efficiency of WWTPs and equip them with advanced technologies.
Authors and Affiliations
Hamze Sharifi, Hossein Movahedian Attar, Bijan Bina
Keywords
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- EP ID EP713933
- DOI 10.34172/EHEM.2023.07
- Views 19
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