Impacts of hydraulic conditions on microplastics biofilm development, shear stresses distribution, and microbial community structures in drinking water distribution pipes.

Both microplastic and biofilm are contamination sources in drinking water, but their integrated impacts on water quality have been rarely studied, especially in drinking water distribution pipes with complex hydraulic conditions. This study explored the impacts of hydraulic conditions (0-2 m/s) on microplastic biofilm (MP-BM) development, shear stresses distribution, and microbial community structures. The research was conducted for two weeks using a pilot test device to simulate practical water pipes.

Interactive impacts of microplastics and chlorine on biological stability and microbial community formation in stagnant water.

Possibility of human exposure to microplastics (MPs) in water environment has been escalating, and subsequent challenges of MPs to biostability and biosafety in drinking water deserve more attention, especially in stagnant water. The present study explored the integrated impacts of MPs and chlorine on disinfection kinetics, microbial growth, and microbial community formation in drinking water, by setting MPs or microplastic-biofilm (MP-BM) under different disinfection conditions. The following were the primary conclusions: (1) The presence of MP and MP-BM led to the deterioration of water indices (especially turbidity) when chlorine was less than 1 mg/L.