Retention of microplastics in a major secondary wastewater treatment plant in Vancouver, Canada

Gies, Esther A.; LeNoble, Jessica L.; Noël, Marie; Etemadifar, Anahita; Bishay, Farida; Hall, Eric R.; Ross, Peter S.

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.06.006

Cited by 495 publications

(252 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Cheung and Fok [38] estimated that 80% of the microbead emissions to aquatic environments in mainland China (around 209.7 trillion microbeads, 306.9 tons per year) is due to WWTP effluents. A study from 17 WWTPs in the United States estimated that between 50,000 and 15 million MPs per day are discharged into effluents by WWTPs [39], whereas for the city of Vancouver (Canada) alone, the release has been estimated at around 30 billion annually [40]. Although these numbers may seem incredibly high, WWTPs are doing their job: many studies recently investigated the effectiveness of WWTPs in removal efficiency of MPs, reporting removal rates of 97-99% [30,40].…”

Section: From Plastic To Microplastic (Mp): Sources and Aquatic Envirmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study from 17 WWTPs in the United States estimated that between 50,000 and 15 million MPs per day are discharged into effluents by WWTPs [39], whereas for the city of Vancouver (Canada) alone, the release has been estimated at around 30 billion annually [40]. Although these numbers may seem incredibly high, WWTPs are doing their job: many studies recently investigated the effectiveness of WWTPs in removal efficiency of MPs, reporting removal rates of 97-99% [30,40]. It is important to emphasize that even low concentrations of MPs in effluents may contribute significantly to MP pollution in the environment due to the large volumes being treated [30].…”

Section: From Plastic To Microplastic (Mp): Sources and Aquatic Envirmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Microplastic Contamination in Freshwater Environments: A Review, Focusing on Interactions with Sediments and Benthic Organisms

et al. 2020

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Plastic is one of the most commonly produced and used materials in the world due to its outstanding features. However, the worldwide use of plastics and poor waste management have led to negative impacts on ecosystems. Plastic degradation in the environment leads to the generation of plastic particles with a size of <5 mm, which are defined as microplastics (MPs). These represent a global concern due to their wide dispersion in water environments and unclear potential ecotoxicological effects. Different studies have been performed with the aim of evaluating the presence and impacts of MPs in the marine environment. However, the presence of MPs in freshwater systems is still poorly investigated, making data retrieval a difficult task. The purpose of this review is to identify the main aspects concerning MPs pollution sources in lakes and rivers, with a focus on freshwater sediments as a site of accumulation and as the habitat of benthic organisms, which are key components of food webs and play a fundamental role in energy/contaminant transfer processes, but are still poorly considered. Through this review, the sources and fate of MPs in freshwater are analysed, ecotoxicological studies focused on sediments and benthic fauna are exposed, the most frequently used sampling and analysis strategies are reported, and future trends of MPs analysis in this field are proposed.

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Section: From Plastic To Microplastic (Mp): Sources and Aquatic Envirmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: From Plastic To Microplastic (Mp): Sources and Aquatic Envirmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastic Contamination in Freshwater Environments: A Review, Focusing on Interactions with Sediments and Benthic Organisms

et al. 2020

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“…However, some sewage treatment plants are effective at removing the majority of MPs (up to 99.9% removal of MP debris) from wastewater, but a significant number of MP debris will be retained within the sludge (Gies et al 2018;Mintenig et al 2017;Prata 2018a). In Portugal, more than 87 % of the total amount of sewage sludge is applied as agricultural fertiliser (using biosolids) either directly or after composting (Alvarenga et al 2016).…”

Section: Mps In Terrestrial Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence, sources, human health impacts and mitigation of microplastic pollution

Karbalaei

Hanachi

Walker

et al. 2018

Environ Sci Pollut Res

451

168

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The presence and accumulation of plastic and microplastic (MP) debris in the natural environment is of increasing concern and has become the focus of attention for many researchers. Plastic debris is a prolific, long-lived pollutant, that is highly resistant to environmental degradation, readily adheres hydrophobic persistent organic pollutants and is linked to morbidity and mortality in numerous aquatic organisms. The prevalence of MPs within the natural environment are a symptom of continuous and rapid growth in synthetic plastic production and mismanagement of plastic waste. Many terrestrial and marine-based processes, including domestic and industrial drainage, maritime activities agricultural runoff and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) effluent, contribute to MP pollution in aquatic environments. MPs have been identified in food consumed by human and in air samples, and exposure to MPs via ingestion or inhalation could lead to adverse human health effects. Regulations in many countries have already been established or will soon be implemented to reduce MPs in aquatic environments. This review focuses on the occurrence, sources, and transport of MPs in terrestrial and aquatic environments to highlight potential human health effects, and applicable regulations to mitigate impacts of MPs. This study also highlights the importance of personality traits and cognitive ability in reducing the entry of MPs into the environment.

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“…Over 220 species of marine organisms, ranging from microscopic zooplankton to bivalves, fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, sharks, seabirds, and a host of other marine-associated species, have been documented to ingest plastics (Lusher et al 2017). The majority of microplastic pollution research in North America has sought to determine environmental concentrations of microplastics in lakes, rivers, estuaries, and sediments, with recent investigations of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) as potential avenues for microplastics to enter aquatic ecosystems (Auta et al 2017;Gies et al 2018). For example, Mason et al (2016) reported the average concentration of microplastics in WWTP effluent across the United States as 0.05 AE 0.024 particles L −1 .…”

Section: Marine Microplastics: a Brief Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastic occurrence and effects in commercially harvested North American finfish and shellfish: Current knowledge and future directions

Baechler

Stienbarger

Horn

et al. 2019

Limnol Oceanogr Letters

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As global seafood consumption rises, it is important to understand the mechanisms by which fisheries are affected by microplastic pollution. A growing body of literature describes the occurrence and effects of microplastics in commercial species, primarily from Europe, Asia, and South America; however, there are far fewer studies conducted in North America. In this article, we review the evidence available for the presence and effects of microplastics on commercially valuable fishery species of North America and possible consequences of human consumption. We identify key priorities for future research on this topic including geographic and taxonomic representativeness; physiological, organismal, and population level effects; microplastics as multiple stressors; human health risks; and standardization of field and lab protocols. AbstractCommercial fisheries yield essential foods, sustain cultural practices, and provide widespread employment around the globe. Commercially harvested species face a myriad of anthropogenic threats including degraded habitats, changing climate, overharvest, and pollution. Microplastics are pollutants of increasing concern, which are pervasive in the environment and can harbor or adsorb pollutants from surrounding waters. Aquatic organisms, including commercial species, encounter and ingest microplastics, but there is a paucity of data about those caught and cultured in North America. Additional research is needed to determine prevalence, physiological effects, and population-level implications of microplastics in commercial species from Canada,

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Retention of microplastics in a major secondary wastewater treatment plant in Vancouver, Canada

Cited by 495 publications

References 27 publications

Microplastic Contamination in Freshwater Environments: A Review, Focusing on Interactions with Sediments and Benthic Organisms

Microplastic Contamination in Freshwater Environments: A Review, Focusing on Interactions with Sediments and Benthic Organisms

Occurrence, sources, human health impacts and mitigation of microplastic pollution

Microplastic occurrence and effects in commercially harvested North American finfish and shellfish: Current knowledge and future directions

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