Microplastics from wastewater treatment plants - preliminary data
Gouveia, R.; Antunes, J.; Sobral, P.; Amaral, L. (2018). Microplastics from wastewater treatment plants - preliminary data, in: Cocca, M. et al. Proceedings of the International Conference on Microplastic Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. Springer Water, : pp. 53-57. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71279-6_8
In: Cocca, M. et al. (2018). Proceedings of the International Conference on Microplastic Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. Springer Water. Springer International Publishing: Cham. ISBN 978-3-319-71278-9. 250 pp. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71279-6, more
In: Springer Water. Springer International Publishing: Cham. ISSN 2364-6934; e-ISSN 2364-8198, more
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Document type: Conference paper
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| Authors | | Top |
- Gouveia, R.
- Antunes, J.
- Sobral, P.
- Amaral, L.
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| Abstract |
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTIP) are a potential source of microplastics [1,2]. Several types of microplastics, namely microbeads, fibres and fragments, were analysed in two WWTP effluent serving different Portuguese communities. A bigger station treating mixed domestic and industrial wastewater averaging 18000 m day and a smaller station with treating mostly domestic wastewater averaging 7250 m day. A total of 6065 microplastics were observed in 5,5 litres of wastewater sampled. 90% of the microplastics analysed were fragments and 88% were collected from treated effluent (1687 items in average per litre). Fibres presented a higher percentage in the affluent (88%), comparing to treated effluent (12%). Regarding sizes, microplastics with less than 0, 5 mm were the most representative in both WWTP. Fibres with 1 to 2 mm were more common. This study intends to contribute with a standardized methodology to analyse microplastics in wastewater, from sampling to identification, measuring and handling processes in the laboratory. |
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