Fate of microplastics and other small anthropogenic litter (SAL) in wastewater treatment plants depends on unit processes employed

Michielssen, Marlies R.; Michielssen, Elien R.; Ni, Jonathan; Duhaime, Melissa B.

doi:10.1039/c6ew00207b

Cited by 228 publications

(217 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Microplastic morphological characteristics (shape, texture, and size) may influence toxicological outcomes, for example, controlling if it is translocated in the tissues, blocks the digestive tract, or irritates or lacerates tissues, resulting in abnormalities or increasing susceptibility to infectious diseases. Growing research suggests that microfibers are a prevalent form of plastic pollution in the environment (Güven et al, ; Panno et al, ; Michielssen et al, ). Their dimensions may present novel risks, as they are more likely to penetrate or otherwise irritate tissues.…”

Section: Microplastic Uptake and Consequences In Biotamentioning

confidence: 99%

A Global Perspective on Microplastics

Hale¹,

Seeley²,

Guardia³

et al. 2020

JGR Oceans

673

270

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Society has become increasingly reliant on plastics since commercial production began in about 1950. Their versatility, stability, light weight, and low production costs have fueled global demand. Most plastics are initially used and discarded on land. Nonetheless, the amount of microplastics in some oceanic compartments is predicted to double by 2030. To solve this global problem, we must understand plastic composition, physical forms, uses, transport, and fragmentation into microplastics (and nanoplastics). Plastic debris/microplastics arise from land disposal, wastewater treatment, tire wear, paint failure, textile washing, and at-sea losses. Riverine and atmospheric transport, storm water, and disasters facilitate releases. In surface waters plastics/microplastics weather, biofoul, aggregate, and sink, are ingested by organisms and redistributed by currents. Ocean sediments are likely the ultimate destination. Plastics release additives, concentrate environmental contaminants, and serve as substrates for biofilms, including exotic and pathogenic species. Microplastic abundance increases as fragment size decreases, as does the proportion of organisms capable of ingesting them. Particles <20 μm may penetrate cell membranes, exacerbating risks. Exposure can compromise feeding, metabolic processes, reproduction, and behavior. But more investigation is required to draw definitive conclusions. Human ingestion of contaminated seafood and water is a concern. Microplastics indoors present yet uncharacterized risks, magnified by the time we spend inside (>90%) and the abundance of polymeric products therein. Scientific challenges include improving microplastic sampling and characterization approaches, understanding long-term behavior, additive bioavailability, and organismal and ecosystem health risks. Solutions include improving globally based pollution prevention, developing degradable polymers and additives, and reducing consumption/expanding plastic reuse.

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Section: Microplastic Uptake and Consequences In Biotamentioning

confidence: 99%

A Global Perspective on Microplastics

Hale¹,

Seeley²,

Guardia³

et al. 2020

JGR Oceans

673

270

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“…An analysis of 29 Great Lakes tributaries (Baldwin et al, 2016) found total debris comprised of 71% fibers and 17% fragments. Similarly, anthropogenic litter in the effluent of a high capacity wastewater treatment plant that discharges directly to the Great Lakes was found to be 61% fibers and 33% fragments (Michielssen et al, 2016). This difference may be due to the fact that typically fibers are comprised of polymers that are denser than water, e.g., nylon, polyester, acrylic.…”

Section: Secondary Plastics (Fragments) Were the Most Common Plastic mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Field surveys have confirmed the presence of microplastics in Great Lakes surface water (Eriksen et al, 2013;Mason et al, 2016), sediment (Corcoran et al, 2015;Ballent et al, 2016), and beaches (Zbyszewski and Corcoran, 2011;Hoellein et al, 2014;Zbyszewski et al, 2014;Driedger et al, 2015), as well as the rivers (Baldwin et al, 2016) and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents (Michielssen et al, 2016) that directly feed into the Great Lakes. Yet, these data are sparse.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and Modeled Transport of Plastic Pollution in the Great Lakes, the World's Largest Freshwater Resource

Cable

Beletsky

et al. 2017

Front. Environ. Sci.

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126

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Most plastic pollution originates on land. As such, freshwater bodies serve as conduits for the transport of plastic litter to the ocean. Understanding the concentrations and fluxes of plastic litter in freshwater ecosystems is critical to our understanding of the global plastic litter budget and underpins the success of future management strategies. We conducted a replicated field survey of surface plastic concentrations in four lakes in the North American Great Lakes system, the largest contiguous freshwater system on the planet. We then modeled plastic transport to resolve spatial and temporal variability of plastic distribution in one of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie. Triplicate surface samples were collected at 38 stations in mid-summer of 2014. Plastic particles >106 µm in size were quantified. Concentrations were highest near populated urban areas and their water infrastructure. In the highest concentration trawl, nearly 2 million fragments km −2 were found in the Detroit River-dwarfing previous reports of Great Lakes plastic abundances by over 4-fold. Yet, the accuracy of single trawl counts was challenged: within-station plastic abundances varied 0-to 3-fold between replicate trawls. In the smallest size class (106-1,000 µm), false positive rates of 12-24% were determined analytically for plastic vs. non-plastic, while false negative rates averaged ∼18%. Though predicted to form in summer by the existing Lake Erie circulation model, our transport model did not predict a permanent surface "Lake Erie Garbage Patch" in its central basin-a trend supported by field survey data. Rather, general eastward transport with recirculation in the major basins was predicted. Further, modeled plastic residence times were drastically influenced by plastic buoyancy. Neutrally buoyant plastics-those with the same density as the ambient water-were flushed several times slower than plastics floating at the water's surface and exceeded the hydraulic residence time of the lake. It is likely that the ecosystem impacts of plastic litter persist in the Great Lakes longer than assumed based on lake flushing rates. This study furthers our understanding of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes, a model freshwater system to study the movement of plastic from anthropogenic sources to environmental sinks.

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“…Among them can be distinguished: wastewater treatment plants, cargo shipping, fisheries, human waste from beaches and urban runoff [Cole et al 2011, Stolte et al 2015, Peters and Bratton 2016, Alomar et al 2016, Michielssen et al 2016, Solomon and Palanisami 2016, Graca et al 2017, Mintening et al 2017, Wright and Kelly, 2017 Baltic Sea water, which suggests that tourist activity could be a major entry path for potential synthetic fibres as well.…”

Section: Sources and Transport Pathsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plastic pollutants in water environment

Mrowiec

2017

Ochrona Srodowiska I Zasobów Naturalnych

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Nowadays, wide applications of plastics result in plastic waste being present in the water environment in a wide variety of sizes. Plastic wastes are in water mainly as microplastics (the size range of 1 nm to < 5 mm). Microplastics have been recognized as an emerging threat, as well as ecotoxicological and ecological risk for water ecosystems. In this review are presented some of the physicochemical properties of plastic materials that determine their toxic effect on the aquatic environment. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are mentioned as one of main sources of microplastics introduced into fresh water, and rivers are the pathways for the transportation of the pollutants to seas and oceans. But, effluents from tertiary wastewater treatment facilities can contain only minimally microplastic loads. The issue of discharge reduction of plastic pollutants into water environment needs activities in the scope of efficient wastewater treatment, waste disposal, recycling of plastic materials, education and public involvement.

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Fate of microplastics and other small anthropogenic litter (SAL) in wastewater treatment plants depends on unit processes employed

Abstract: The accumulation of microplastics (plastic particles less than 5 mm) and similarly sized small anthropogenic litter (SAL; e.g., cellulosic products manufactured from natural material) in aquatic ecosystems is a growing concern.

Cited by 228 publications

References 27 publications

A Global Perspective on Microplastics

A Global Perspective on Microplastics

Distribution and Modeled Transport of Plastic Pollution in the Great Lakes, the World's Largest Freshwater Resource

Plastic pollutants in water environment

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