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Point-source tracking of microplastics in sewerage systems. Finding the culprit

•Using FPA-µFTIR-imaging, several sources of microplastics (MP) were quantified in sewerage networks.•Domestic wastewater had similar MP concentrations as the raw wastewater entering the wastewater treatment plants.•Wastewater produced at an industrial laundry facility contained the highest amount o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water research (Oxford) 2024-06, Vol.257, p.121696-121696, Article 121696
Main Authors: Iordachescu, Lucian, Nielsen, Rasmus Vest, Papacharalampos, Konstantinos, Barritaud, Lauriane, Denieul, Marie-Pierre, Plessis, Emmanuel, Baratto, Gilles, Julien, Veronique, Vollertsen, Jes
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:•Using FPA-µFTIR-imaging, several sources of microplastics (MP) were quantified in sewerage networks.•Domestic wastewater had similar MP concentrations as the raw wastewater entering the wastewater treatment plants.•Wastewater produced at an industrial laundry facility contained the highest amount of MPs among the sources.•Polyester was the predominant polymer type identified at the sources, particularly in the industrial laundry effluent. Prior microplastic (MP) research has focused more on the efficiency of removal techniques within wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), with comparatively less emphasis placed on identifying and understanding the sources of MPs. In this study, the presence of MP in wastewater from various sources and their associated WWTPs was investigated. Utilising focal plane array micro Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FPA-μFTIR), the chemical composition, size distribution, and mass of MPs were quantified. Notably, wastewater generated from an industrial laundry facility exhibited the highest MP concentration of 6900 counts L−1 or 716 μg L−1. Domestic sewage contained MP levels (1534 counts L−1; 158 μg L−1) similar to those at the WWTPs (1640 counts L−1; 114 μg L−1). Polyester was identified as a significant component in most of the sources, predominantly originating from the shedding of fibres during textile washing. Additionally, a post-processing software was employed to compare two methods for fibre identification: aspect ratio and elongation ratio. These findings underscore the potential environmental impact of domestic activities and laundry washing on wastewater MP content. [Display omitted]
ISSN:0043-1354
1879-2448
DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2024.121696