Transport and accumulation of microplastics through wastewater treatment sludge processes

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are important routes for releasing microplastics into the environment, with the produced sludge acting as a recipient of microplastics from wastewater. There is little information on the impact of sludge processes on the number of microplastics in sludge. In this study, the presence of microplastics in sludge produced by the Sari WWTP in northern Iran was investigated. Samples were taken in 3 replications and microplastics larger than 37 mm were extracted. The sludge from primary settling tank, clarifier, after sludge thickener and after aerobic digester, and after dewatering contained 214, 206, 200, 238, and 129 microplastics/g dry weight, respectively. According to the amount of sludge produced for each unit, this equals 280, 362, 599, 601, and 276 million microplastics/day, respectively, of which more than 85% were fibers. The numbers of microplastics in the sludge from the output of the sludge thickener and the aerobic digester did not significantly differ. However, their numbers decreased by more than 50% after dewatering, probably due to the destruction of flocs in the digestive process and the release of attached microplastics, which are returned into the wastewater treatment process with the rejected water. Polyester and polyethylene were the predominant types of fibers and particles, respectively. Given the annual amount of sludge produced, more than 100 billion microplastics enter the environment per year. Wastewater sludge, therefore, is an important source for the emission of microplastics, especially fibers, to the environment, warranting further evaluation of the associated environmental hazards. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Wastewater treatment plants are significant sources of microplastic emissions into the environment, particularly fibers. The sludge processes can impact the quantity of microplastics present, with dewatering potentially releasing attached microplastics. Polyester and polyethylene are the predominant types of microplastics found in the sludge.