The Pollution Characteristics and Fate of Microplastics in Typical Wastewater Treatment Systems in Northern China

IF 4.7 Q2 MATERIALS SCIENCE, BIOMATERIALS ACS Applied Bio Materials Pub Date : 2024-06-06 DOI:10.3390/separations11060177

Yi Ma, Zhenkang Bao, Shangying Cai, Qiong Wang, Beibei Dou, Xiangyu Niu, Qingzhen Meng, Penghao Li, Xiaoying Guo

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Abstract

This study focuses on the occurrence status and removal efficiency of microplastics in wastewater treatment plant processes. Analysis of effluent and sludge samples from the Wulongkou and Shuangqiao wastewater treatment plants in Zhengzhou revealed an overall microplastic removal efficiency of 95.64% and 92.53%, respectively, indicating the effectiveness of wastewater treatment plants in reducing microplastic emissions. Microplastics primarily exist in forms such as fiber, fragment, floc, film, and grain. Fibers are predominant in the effluent of the Wulongkou plant, while fibers and films predominate in the effluent of the Shuangqiao plant. Moreover, microplastics are predominantly sized below 500 μm, with larger microplastics (2–5 mm) exhibiting higher removal efficiencies after secondary treatment. Analysis of microplastic types revealed that PE is the most common type in the effluent of the Wulongkou plant, while the Shuangqiao plant predominantly contains PE and PA66. The abundance of microplastics in sludge samples was found to be 6.4 ± 0.8 items/g and 11.3 ± 2.3 items/g, highlighting sludge as an important sink for microplastics. Surface analysis of microplastics revealed characteristics such as wrinkles and cracks, with energy-dispersive spectroscopy indicating significant adsorption of heavy metal elements such as Zn, Hg, and Pb onto microplastic surfaces in sludge. These findings underscore the importance of microplastic removal in wastewater treatment processes and provide scientific evidence for the control and management of microplastic pollution in the future.

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中国北方典型污水处理系统中微塑料的污染特征与归宿

本研究的重点是污水处理厂工艺中微塑料的出现状况和去除效率。通过对郑州市五龙口污水处理厂和双桥污水处理厂的出水和污泥样品进行分析，发现其对微塑料的总体去除率分别为 95.64% 和 92.53%，这表明污水处理厂在减少微塑料排放方面的效果显著。微塑料主要以纤维、碎片、絮状物、薄膜和颗粒等形式存在。乌龙口污水处理厂的出水以纤维为主，双桥污水处理厂的出水以纤维和薄膜为主。此外，微塑料的尺寸主要在 500 微米以下，较大的微塑料（2-5 毫米）在二级处理后的去除率更高。对微塑料类型的分析表明，五龙口工厂的污水中最常见的类型是 PE，而双桥工厂的污水中主要含有 PE 和 PA66。污泥样本中的微塑料含量分别为 6.4 ± 0.8 微克/克和 11.3 ± 2.3 微克/克，这表明污泥是微塑料的一个重要汇。微塑料的表面分析显示出褶皱和裂纹等特征，能量色散光谱显示污泥中的微塑料表面吸附了大量重金属元素，如锌、汞和铅。这些发现强调了在污水处理过程中去除微塑料的重要性，并为今后控制和管理微塑料污染提供了科学依据。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

ACS Applied Bio Materials Chemistry-Chemistry (all)

CiteScore

9.40

自引率

2.10%

发文量

464

期刊介绍： ACS Applied Bio Materials is an interdisciplinary journal publishing original research covering all aspects of biomaterials and biointerfaces including and beyond the traditional biosensing, biomedical and therapeutic applications. The journal is devoted to reports of new and original experimental and theoretical research of an applied nature that integrates knowledge in the areas of materials, engineering, physics, bioscience, and chemistry into important bio applications. The journal is specifically interested in work that addresses the relationship between structure and function and assesses the stability and degradation of materials under relevant environmental and biological conditions.