Microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: sources, properties, removal efficiency, removal mechanisms, and interactions with pollutants

Creative Commons License

Acarer S.

WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, cilt.87, sa.3, ss.685-710, 2023 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 87 Sayı: 3
  • Basım Tarihi: 2023
  • Doi Numarası: 10.2166/wst.2023.022
  • Dergi Adı: WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, PASCAL, Analytical Abstracts, Aqualine, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), BIOSIS, Biotechnology Research Abstracts, CAB Abstracts, Chimica, Compendex, EMBASE, Environment Index, Geobase, Pollution Abstracts, Public Affairs Index, Veterinary Science Database, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.685-710
  • Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

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.