Optimization of microplastic removal based on the complementarity of constructed wetland and microalgal-based system

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2024-02, Vol.912, p.169081-169081, Article 169081
• Main Authors: Ding, Shaoxuan, Gu, Xushun, Sun, Shanshan, He, Shengbing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Combined strategy; Complementarity; Constructed wetlands; Microalgal-based system; Microplastics
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169081

As one of the emblematic emerging contaminants, microplastics (MPs) have aroused great public concern. Nevertheless, the global community still insufficiently acknowledges the ecological health risks and resolution strategies of MP pollution. As the nature-based biotechnologies, the constructed wetland (CW) and microalgal-based system (MBS) have been applied in exploring the removal of MPs recently. This review separately presents the removal research (mechanism, interactions, implications, and technical defects) of MPs by a single method of CWs or MBS. But one thing with certitude is that the exclusive usage of these techniques to combat MPs has non-negligible and formidable challenges. The negative impacts of MP accumulation on CWs involve toxicity to macrophytes, substrates blocking, and nitrogen-removing performance inhibition. While MPs restrict MBS practical application by making troubles for separation difficulties of microalgal-based aggregations from effluent. Hence the combined strategy of microalgal-assisted CWs is proposed based on the complementarity of biotechnologies, in an attempt to expand the removing size range of MPs, create more biodegradable conditions and improve the effluent quality. Our work evaluates and forecasts the potential of integrating combination for strengthening micro-polluted wastewater treatment, completing the synergistic removal of MP-based co-pollutants and achieving long-term stability and sustainability, which is expected to provide new insights into MP pollution regulation and control. [Display omitted] •CWs and MBS have been proved to availably remove MPs in the tailwater of WWTPs.•MPs in CWs cause substrates blocking, macrophytes wilting and nitrogen transformation inhibition.•Separation of microalgae-MPs aggregations from effluent restricts the utilization of MBS.•Combined strategy is proposed based on the complementarity of CWs and MBS.•Combined strategy is expected to overcome the drawbacks of individual technology removing MPs.