Removal of microplastic particles during municipal wastewater treatment: A current review
2024
Małgorzata Komorowska-Kaufman | Wiktoria Marciniak
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered the main point source of microplastics (MPs) discharged into water bodies. The article discusses the types and number of MPs present in wastewater and the effectiveness of their removal at the municipal WWTP. The use of different methodologies for determining MPs makes it difficult to compare the results obtained in the studies of different authors. Limitations of various sampling, preparation and final identification techniques of MPs, that may lead to over or underestimating their number in wastewater, were indicated. Although the efficiency of MPs removal on WWPP is reaching 98% or more with advanced treatment, large WWTP could discharged as much as 1010 MPs/day. These values often do not take into account particles smaller than 1 µm (nanoplastics), of which the number in the effluent can be significant. MPs and their degradation products may have a harmful effect on the environment, therefore increasing their removal from wastewater is very important. This can be achieved by introducing additional purification processes, as well as improving the operation of existing ones.
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