Microplastics in an urban wastewater treatment plant: The influence of physicochemical parameters and environmental factors

This paper presents the abundance, concentration and variability of microplastics (MP) in an urban wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), according to different water parameters and environmental factors, their possible sources and removal efficiency. A total of 352.6 L of wastewater from four stages of...

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Authors: Bayo Bernal, Francisco Javier, Olmos Espinar, Sonia, López Castellanos García, Joaquín
Format: article
Status:Versión aceptada para publicación
Publication Date:2020
Country:España
Institution:Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena(UPCT)
Repository:Repositorio Digital UPCT
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.upct.es:10317/13753
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10317/13753
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004565351931817X
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Microlitter
Microplastic
Wastewater treatment plant
Low-density polyethylene
Tecnologías del Medio Ambiente
3308 Ingeniería y Tecnología del Medio Ambiente
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spelling Microplastics in an urban wastewater treatment plant: The influence of physicochemical parameters and environmental factorsBayo Bernal, Francisco JavierOlmos Espinar, SoniaLópez Castellanos García, JoaquínMicrolitterMicroplasticWastewater treatment plantLow-density polyethyleneTecnologías del Medio Ambiente3308 Ingeniería y Tecnología del Medio AmbienteThis paper presents the abundance, concentration and variability of microplastics (MP) in an urban wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), according to different water parameters and environmental factors, their possible sources and removal efficiency. A total of 352.6 L of wastewater from four stages of the treatment process were processed following a standardized extraction protocol by density separation, trinocular microscopic identification and polymeric analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. MP comprised a 46.6% of total microlitter, with a statistically significant removal of 90.3% in the final effluent of the WWTP. Five different shapes were isolated; i.e. fragment, film, bead, fiber, and foam. The most prominent MP forms in the final effluent were fragments and fibers, with the most common size class being 400e600 mm. Seventeen different polymer families were identified, with low-density polyethylene being the most prevalent one (52.4%) in a film form (27.7%), mostly from agriculture greenhouses near the sewage plant and single plastic bags (it is noted that only a year ago consumers are charged for them in Spain). Influent wastewater with high concentrations of suspended solids proved to have a low MP burden with a larger MP size, possibly due to a hetero-aggregation with particulate matter. Agglomeration of polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate with organic material is also suggested, both with surface energies higher than 25mNm 1 enough for a high biofouling rate. The sewage plant cushions sharp-point microplastic concentrations during the warm season, allowing a stable performance of the WWTP.This work was financed by Project 5245/18IQA (Cetenma and Hidrogea). Analyses carried out by S. Olmos were supported by a grant from Fundación Séneca (20268/FPI/17). Authors gratefully acknowledge the work and cooperation of personnel of the WWTP of Cartagena with wastewater samples collection.ElsevierFundación SénecaCentro Tecnológico de la Energía y del Medio Ambiente202420242020info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersionapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10317/13753https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004565351931817Xreponame:Repositorio Digital UPCTinstname:Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena(UPCT)Inglésinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/CETENMA//5245%2F18IQA5245/18IQAAtribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 3.0 EspañaAtribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 3.0 Españahttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:repositorio.upct.es:10317/137532026-05-15T06:39:02Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Microplastics in an urban wastewater treatment plant: The influence of physicochemical parameters and environmental factors
title Microplastics in an urban wastewater treatment plant: The influence of physicochemical parameters and environmental factors
spellingShingle Microplastics in an urban wastewater treatment plant: The influence of physicochemical parameters and environmental factors
Bayo Bernal, Francisco Javier
Microlitter
Microplastic
Wastewater treatment plant
Low-density polyethylene
Tecnologías del Medio Ambiente
3308 Ingeniería y Tecnología del Medio Ambiente
title_short Microplastics in an urban wastewater treatment plant: The influence of physicochemical parameters and environmental factors
title_full Microplastics in an urban wastewater treatment plant: The influence of physicochemical parameters and environmental factors
title_fullStr Microplastics in an urban wastewater treatment plant: The influence of physicochemical parameters and environmental factors
title_full_unstemmed Microplastics in an urban wastewater treatment plant: The influence of physicochemical parameters and environmental factors
title_sort Microplastics in an urban wastewater treatment plant: The influence of physicochemical parameters and environmental factors
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Bayo Bernal, Francisco Javier
Olmos Espinar, Sonia
López Castellanos García, Joaquín
author Bayo Bernal, Francisco Javier
author_facet Bayo Bernal, Francisco Javier
Olmos Espinar, Sonia
López Castellanos García, Joaquín
author_role author
author2 Olmos Espinar, Sonia
López Castellanos García, Joaquín
author2_role author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Fundación Séneca
Centro Tecnológico de la Energía y del Medio Ambiente
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Microlitter
Microplastic
Wastewater treatment plant
Low-density polyethylene
Tecnologías del Medio Ambiente
3308 Ingeniería y Tecnología del Medio Ambiente
topic Microlitter
Microplastic
Wastewater treatment plant
Low-density polyethylene
Tecnologías del Medio Ambiente
3308 Ingeniería y Tecnología del Medio Ambiente
description This paper presents the abundance, concentration and variability of microplastics (MP) in an urban wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), according to different water parameters and environmental factors, their possible sources and removal efficiency. A total of 352.6 L of wastewater from four stages of the treatment process were processed following a standardized extraction protocol by density separation, trinocular microscopic identification and polymeric analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. MP comprised a 46.6% of total microlitter, with a statistically significant removal of 90.3% in the final effluent of the WWTP. Five different shapes were isolated; i.e. fragment, film, bead, fiber, and foam. The most prominent MP forms in the final effluent were fragments and fibers, with the most common size class being 400e600 mm. Seventeen different polymer families were identified, with low-density polyethylene being the most prevalent one (52.4%) in a film form (27.7%), mostly from agriculture greenhouses near the sewage plant and single plastic bags (it is noted that only a year ago consumers are charged for them in Spain). Influent wastewater with high concentrations of suspended solids proved to have a low MP burden with a larger MP size, possibly due to a hetero-aggregation with particulate matter. Agglomeration of polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate with organic material is also suggested, both with surface energies higher than 25mNm 1 enough for a high biofouling rate. The sewage plant cushions sharp-point microplastic concentrations during the warm season, allowing a stable performance of the WWTP.
publishDate 2020
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2020
2024
2024
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
format article
status_str acceptedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10317/13753
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004565351931817X
url http://hdl.handle.net/10317/13753
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004565351931817X
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/CETENMA//5245%2F18IQA
5245/18IQA
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 3.0 España
Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 3.0 España
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 3.0 España
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Repositorio Digital UPCT
instname:Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena(UPCT)
instname_str Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena(UPCT)
reponame_str Repositorio Digital UPCT
collection Repositorio Digital UPCT
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15,812429

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