Environmental impact of microplastic emissions from wastewater treatment plant through life cycle assessment.

This study aimed to quantify the environmental impact of microplastic (MP) emissions from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) using life cycle assessment (LCA). The investigation comprehensively evaluated the contribution of MPs to overall WWTP midpoint and endpoint impacts, with a detailed analysis of the influence of particle size, shape, polymer type, and the environmental costs and benefits of individual wastewater treatment processes on MP removal. The LCA model was developed using SimaPro software, with impact assessments conducted via the USEtox framework and the IMPACT World+ methodology.

Seasonal variation and removal of microplastics in a central Asian urban wastewater treatment plant.

This paper investigated the MP presence and removal in the urban WWTP in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan. MP concentrations in the 100-5000 μm size were analyzed across treatment stages with a modified treatment process scheme, and their removal efficiencies were evaluated. The WWTP effluent displayed a low MP concentration (4.