Identification and Quantification of Microplastics in Effluents of Wastewater Treatment Plant by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)

• DOI: 10.3390/su14094920
• Publication Date: 2022-04-20T06:04:22Z
• Authors: Joaquín Hernández...; Heidis Cano; Yoleima Guerra; Esneyder Puello Polo; John Fredy Ríos-R...; Ricardo Vivas-Reyes; Juan Oviedo
• Keywords: LEMB; microplastics; Microplastics; removal; 0211 other engineering and technologies; Efficiency; 02 engineering and technology; wastewater treatment plants; Pollution; 6. Clean water; 620; 12. Responsible consumption; efficiency; Wastewater treatment plants; 11. Sustainability; 628; pollution; Removal; efficiency; wastewater treatment plants; microplastics; pollution; removal

In this research, the presence of microplastics was detected through a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis of three wastewater treatment plants. One of these plants applied only a preliminary treatment stage while the others applied up to a secondary treatment stage to evaluate their effectiveness. The results showed the presence of polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which were classified as fragments, fibers or granules. During the evaluation of the plants, it was determined that the preliminary treatment did not remove more than 58% of the microplastics, while the plants applying up to a secondary treatment with activated sludge achieved microplastic removal effectiveness between 90% and 96.9%.