Removal efficiency and whole process analysis of microplastics in a wastewater treatment plant: Taking an underground tertiary wastewater treatment plant in Beijing as an example
XING Wei1, LIU Meng-yao1, LI Di2, WEI Fan-qin2, ZUO Jian-e2
1. Beijing Key Laboratory of Aqueous Typical Pollutants Control and Water Quality Safeguard, School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China; 2. State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Abstract:The effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is one of the important pathways for microplastics entering natural environments. This study analysed the occurrence characteristics and removal efficiencies of microplastics in eight processes of an underground tertiary WWTP in Beijing. The results showed that microplastics in this WWTP were mainly in form of fiber, with major compositions of polypropylene, polyester and polyethylene and the primary size ≤500μm. The overall removal efficiency of microplastics in this WWTP was 91.7%, which mainly benefits from interception, filtration and sedimentation units. Among all the processes, the double-deck horizontal sedimentation tank (the secondary sedimentation tank) showed the highest removal efficiency of microplastics, and biochemical treatment processes did not present significant removal efficiency. As a whole, the microplastics showed a migration trend from wastewater to sludge. In the effluent of this WWTP, the microplastic concentration was 1.3n/L with the composition of polyester fiber. The effluent discharge did not increase the microplastic concentrations in surrounding water body, but affected the microplastic compositions in downstream surface water. The results indicate that advanced treatment processes are necessary guarantees to control the pollution risk of microplastics in surrounding water.
邢薇, 刘梦瑶, 李頔, 魏凡钦, 左剑恶. 污水处理厂中微塑料的去除效能与全流程分析——以北京某下沉式三级污水处理厂为例[J]. 中国环境科学, 2021, 41(3): 1140-1147.
XING Wei, LIU Meng-yao, LI Di, WEI Fan-qin, ZUO Jian-e. Removal efficiency and whole process analysis of microplastics in a wastewater treatment plant: Taking an underground tertiary wastewater treatment plant in Beijing as an example. CHINA ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCECE, 2021, 41(3): 1140-1147.
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