TY - JOUR
T1 - Transport and fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants
T2 - implications to environmental health
AU - Raju, Subash
AU - Carbery, Maddison
AU - Kuttykattil, Aswin
AU - Senathirajah, Kala
AU - Subashchandrabose, S. R.
AU - Evans, Geoffrey
AU - Thavamani, Palanisami
PY - 2018/12
Y1 - 2018/12
N2 - Global studies of microplastic (MP) pollution confirm wastewater treatment plants serve as pathways for microplastics entering terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The behaviour, transport and fate of microplastics in wastewater effluents remain mostly unknown, rendering wastewater-derived microplastics as a contaminant of significant concern. We critically examine the literature to understand the sources and fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and the implications of treated effluents admitted to soil and aquatic systems. The transport of chemical and biological contaminants is also discussed in detail, using fundamental principles of vector relationships. For the removal and reduction of microplastics, profound knowledge is required from source to solution. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the significance of microplastics as a vector of water-borne contaminants in WWTPs.
AB - Global studies of microplastic (MP) pollution confirm wastewater treatment plants serve as pathways for microplastics entering terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The behaviour, transport and fate of microplastics in wastewater effluents remain mostly unknown, rendering wastewater-derived microplastics as a contaminant of significant concern. We critically examine the literature to understand the sources and fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and the implications of treated effluents admitted to soil and aquatic systems. The transport of chemical and biological contaminants is also discussed in detail, using fundamental principles of vector relationships. For the removal and reduction of microplastics, profound knowledge is required from source to solution. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the significance of microplastics as a vector of water-borne contaminants in WWTPs.
KW - wastewater
KW - treatment plant
KW - microplastics
KW - chemical transport
KW - antibiotic-resistant genes
KW - vector relationship
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11157-018-9480-3
U2 - 10.1007/s11157-018-9480-3
DO - 10.1007/s11157-018-9480-3
M3 - Article
SN - 1569-1705
VL - 17
SP - 637
EP - 653
JO - Reviews in Environmental Science and Biotechnology
JF - Reviews in Environmental Science and Biotechnology
ER -
