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Ahmed SF, Islam N, Tasannum N, Mehjabin A, Momtahin A, Chowdhury AA, Almomani F, Mofijur M. Microplastic removal and management strategies for wastewater treatment plants. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 347:140648. [PMID: 37952815 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Discharging microplastics into the environment with treated wastewater is becoming a major concern around the world. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) release microplastics into terrestrial and aquatic habitats, mostly from textile, laundry, and cosmetic industries. Despite extensive research on microplastics in the environment, their removal, and WWTP management strategies, highlighting their environmental effects, little is known about microplastics' fate and behaviour during various treatment processes. Microplastics interact with treatment technologies differently due to their diverse physical and chemical characteristics, resulting in varying removal efficiency. Microplastics removed from WWTPs may accumulate in soil and harm terrestrial ecosystems. Few studies have examined the cost, energy use, and trade-offs of large-scale implementation of modern treatment methods for the removal of microplastics. To safeguard aquatic and terrestrial habitats from microplastics' contamination, focused and efficient management techniques must bridge these knowledge gaps. This review summarizes microplastic detection, collection, removal and management strategies. A compilation of treatment process studies on microplastics' removal efficiency and their destiny and transit paths shows recent improvement. Bioremediation, membrane bioreactor (MBR), electrocoagulation, sol-gel technique, flotation, enhanced filtering, and AOPs are evaluated for microplastic removal. The fate and behaviour of microplastics in WWTPs suggest they may be secondary suppliers of microplastics to receiving ecosystems. Innovative microplastic removal strategies and technologies such as nanoparticles, microorganism-based remediation, and tertiary treatment raise issues. These new WWTP technologies are examined for feasibility, limitations, and implementation issues. Pretreatment modifies microplastic size, adsorption potential, and surface morphology to remove microplastics from WWTPs. Membrane bioreactors (MBR) can remove 99.9% of microplastics more efficiently than other approaches. MBR systems require membrane cleaning and fouling control, which raises operational and capital costs. To reduce MPs, plastic alternatives and strict controls, including microplastic waste transformation, should be prioritized. Microplastics must be controlled through monitoring policy execution and awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shams Forruque Ahmed
- Science and Math Program, Asian University for Women, Chattogram, 4000, Bangladesh.
| | - Nafisa Islam
- Science and Math Program, Asian University for Women, Chattogram, 4000, Bangladesh
| | - Nuzaba Tasannum
- Science and Math Program, Asian University for Women, Chattogram, 4000, Bangladesh
| | - Aanushka Mehjabin
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Adiba Momtahin
- Science and Math Program, Asian University for Women, Chattogram, 4000, Bangladesh
| | - Ashfaque Ahmed Chowdhury
- School of Engineering and Technology, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD, 4702, Australia; Centre for Intelligent Systems, Clean Energy Academy, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD, 4702, Australia
| | - Fares Almomani
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Collage of Engineering, Qatar University, Qatar.
| | - M Mofijur
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
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Wei H, Wang J, Pan S, Liu J, Ding H, Smith K, Yang Z, Liu P, Guo X, Gao S. Are wastewater treatment plants as the source of microplastics in surface water and soil? JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 459:132154. [PMID: 37517239 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are widely detected in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and natural environment, while the relationship of MPs pollution in both media is not fully understood. In this study, the occurrence of MPs in WWTPs and in surface water and soil was investigated, and their relationship was critically formulated. Results showed although wastewater treatment could effectively remove MPs (58.2%), the effluent was still the important source of MPs in the river, while sludge was not as important as the effluent of MPs in the soil. Specifically, the dominant size ranges of MPs were 0-200 µm, with main type of PE in all wastewater, sludge, river and soil. The dominant shape of MPs in wastewater and river was film. However, the shapes were different between sludge (52.1% of fibers) and soil (40.6% of fragment). Overall, WWTP input and surface runoff were the main source of MPs pollution in surface water, and the abrasion of agricultural films accounted for the MPs pollution in soil. The findings revealed the distribution and interconnection of MPs in WWTPs and environmental media, which could help to trace the sources of MPs pollution and assess the ecological risks in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyu Wei
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Suyi Pan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Jincheng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Hao Ding
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Ken Smith
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Zeyuan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China.
| | - Xuetao Guo
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Shixiang Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
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Xu N, Jiang L, Zhang Y, Shen Y, Wang Y, Wang S, Yuan Q. Microplastic pollution in the offshore sea, rivers and wastewater treatment plants in Jiangsu coastal area in China. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 188:105992. [PMID: 37094527 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.105992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Offshore areas are particularly important in recognizing microplastics pollution because they are sinks of land imports and sources of ocean microplastics. This study investigated the pollution and distribution of microplastics in the offshore Sea, rivers and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Jiangsu coastal area in China. Results showed that microplastics were widely present in the offshore area, with an average abundance of 3.1-3.5 items/m3. Significantly higher abundance was present in rivers (3.7-5.9 item/m3), municipal WWTPs (13.7 ± 0.5 item/m3), and industrial WWTPs (19.7 ± 1.2 item/m3). The proportion of small-sized microplastics (1-3 mm) increased from WWTPs (53%) to rivers (64%) and the offshore area (53%). Polyamide (PA), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and rayon (RA) were dominant types of microplastics. Both living and industrial sources contributed to the prevalent microplastics in the offshore Sea. Redundancy analysis showed that small-sized microplastics (1-3 mm) were positively correlated to total phosphorus (TP), while large-sized microplastics (3-5 mm) were positively correlated to TP and NH3-N. The abundance of PE, PP and PVC microplastics were positively correlated to TP and total nitrogen (TN), thus nutrients could be indicators of microplastics pollution in the offshore area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Xu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Lei Jiang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Yunhai Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Yi Shen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Yi Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Shangjie Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Qingbin Yuan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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Su X, Liu M, Yuan J, Huang X, Lu Z, Xu J, He Y. Potential risk of co-occurrence of microplastics and chlorinated persistent organic pollutants to coastal wetlands: Evidence from a case study. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 320:121087. [PMID: 36649883 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic (MP) pollution in coastal wetlands is of a global concern. Little attention has been paid to the co-occurrence and corresponding risk of MPs with pollutants, especially refractory chlorinated persistent organic pollutants (CPOPs). A case study of Zhejiang, China was conducted to investigate the occurrence of MPs and targeted CPOPs in coastal wetlands. MPs were 100% detected, but with the lowest abundance in coastal wetlands (average: 666.1 ± 159.1 items kg-1), as compared to other 6 terrestrial ecosystems (average: 1293.9 ± 163.7 items kg-1) including paddy field, upland, facility vegetable field, forestland, urban soil, and grassland. A total of 35 kinds CPOPs were also detected in all studied coastal wetlands, with their concentration almost under 10 μg kg-1 (90.1%). Both enrichment of MPs and CPOPs was affected by sediment TOC, wetland vegetation and land use simultaneously. Interestingly, the occurrence of MPs was significantly correlated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) but not organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Results of co-occurrence pollution assessment of MPs and CPOPs further indicated only Hangzhou Bay showed the ecological risk among all tested wetlands. This would suggest a potential risk of co-occurrence of MPs and modern CPOPs in coastal wetland in economic development area. Possible reason may lie on strong MP vector effect to CPOPs. More attention should thus be paid to other wetlands polluted by MPs and MP-carrying CPOPs in area with relatively great environmental pressure induced by human activity. This study may provide reference for a better understanding with respect to the risk level posed by co-occurrence of MPs and CPOPs to global coastal wetlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Su
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Meng Liu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiaowei Huang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhijiang Lu
- Department of Environmental Science and Geology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Jianming Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yan He
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Key Laboratory of Environment Remediation and Ecological Health, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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Acarer S. Microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: Sources, properties, removal efficiency, removal mechanisms, and interactions with pollutants. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2023; 87:685-710. [PMID: 36789712 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2023.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Since wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) cannot completely remove microplastics (MPs) from wastewater, WWTPs are responsible for the release of millions of MPs into the environment even in 1 day. Therefore, knowing the sources, properties, removal efficiencies and removal mechanisms of MPs in WWTPs is of great importance for the management of MPs. In this paper, firstly the sources of MPs in WWTPs and the quantities and properties (polymer type, shape, size, and color) of MPs in influents, effluents, and sludges of WWTPs are presented. Following this, the MP removal efficiency of different treatment units (primary settling, flotation, biological treatment, secondary settling, filtration-based treatment technologies, and coagulation) in WWTPs is discussed. In the next section, details about MP removal mechanisms in critical treatment units (settling and flotation tanks, bioreactors, sand filters, membrane filters, and coagulation units) in WWTPs are given. In the last section, the mechanisms and factors that are effective in adsorbing organic-inorganic pollutants in wastewater to MPs are presented. Finally, the current situation and research gap in these areas are identified and suggestions are provided for topics that need further research in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seren Acarer
- Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Avcilar, 34320 Istanbul, Turkey E-mail:
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Patil S, Kamdi P, Chakraborty S, Das S, Bafana A, Krishnamurthi K, Sivanesan S. Characterization and removal of microplastics in a sewage treatment plant from urban Nagpur, India. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 195:47. [PMID: 36309917 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10680-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Sewage treatment plant (STP) acts as a potential source of microplastic contamination in the environment. The presence of microplastics in the sewage treatment plant is reported over the globe in varying concentrations. Hence, the current study is intended to evaluate the presence and abundance of microplastics occurring in sewage treatment plants in India. The samples were processed through digestion and density separation, followed by microscopic and polymer identification through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Also, different wastewater parameters were studied to analyze their influence. High microplastic concentrations were detected in the influent (1860 ± 265 MPs/L), which reduced by > 90%, to around 148 ± 51 MPs/L in the effluent. The concentration of microplastics in sewage sludge was 830 MPs/kg. The prominent plastic types identified include low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, and rayon. The smaller particles prevail in the effluent, releasing around 30 billion particles per day to the environment. This suggests that the current STP is efficient in removing the majority of the particles, but considerations are needed to avoid the ecological risks associated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakshi Patil
- Health and Toxicity Cell (HTC), CSIR-NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) Campus, Nagpur, 440020, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Pooja Kamdi
- Health and Toxicity Cell (HTC), CSIR-NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) Campus, Nagpur, 440020, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Soumya Chakraborty
- Health and Toxicity Cell (HTC), CSIR-NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) Campus, Nagpur, 440020, India
| | - Sera Das
- Chemical and Hazardous Waste Management Division (CHWMD), CSIR-NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) Campus, Nagpur, 440020, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Amit Bafana
- Health and Toxicity Cell (HTC), CSIR-NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) Campus, Nagpur, 440020, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Kannan Krishnamurthi
- Health and Toxicity Cell (HTC), CSIR-NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) Campus, Nagpur, 440020, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Saravanadevi Sivanesan
- Health and Toxicity Cell (HTC), CSIR-NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) Campus, Nagpur, 440020, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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Šaravanja A, Pušić T, Dekanić T. Microplastics in Wastewater by Washing Polyester Fabrics. MATERIALS 2022; 15:ma15072683. [PMID: 35408015 PMCID: PMC9000408 DOI: 10.3390/ma15072683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics have become one of the most serious environmental hazards today, raising fears that concentrations will continue to rise even further in the near future. Micro/nanoparticles are formed when plastic breaks down into tiny fragments due to mechanical or photochemical processes. Microplastics are everywhere, and they have a strong tendency to interact with the ecosystem, putting biogenic fauna and flora at risk. Polyester (PET) and polyamide (PA) are two of the most important synthetic fibres, accounting for about 60% of the total world fibre production. Synthetic fabrics are now widely used for clothing, carpets, and a variety of other products. During the manufacturing or cleaning process, synthetic textiles have the potential to release microplastics into the environment. The focus of this paper is to explore the main potential sources of microplastic pollution in the environment, providing an overview of washable polyester materials.
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Microplastics in Sewage Sludge: A Known but Underrated Pathway in Wastewater Treatment Plants. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su132212591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Interest in the presence of microplastics (MPs) in wastewater has grown significantly in recent years. In fact, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) represent the last barrier before the discharge of MPs into an aquatic ecosystem. The research has highlighted how MPs are in part effectively removed from the waters and accumulated inside the sewage sludge (SeS) produced by the WWTP, being a cause for concern, especially in the case of agricultural reuse. This work aims to analyze the existing literature on the (i) methodical procedure for MPs analysis (thermal, spectroscopic, optical analyses), (ii) qualitative and quantitative presence of MPs in SeS, (iii) effect on sludge properties, and (iv) the possible accumulation in amended soils. Based on the results already obtained in the literature, this work aims to provide critical insights to stimulate interest in the topic and direct future research on aspects that should be deepened. In particular, it emerges that there is a clear need for standardization of the collection methods and the analytical techniques for identifying and quantifying MPs, since their physico-chemical characterization and the study on aging and on the response towards acid or basic pre-treatments are fundamental for the understanding of microplastics ecotoxicological potential.
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