Impacts of coal-fired power plants for energy generation on environment and future implications of energy policy for Turkey.

Turkish government aimed to increase the installed capacities of coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) according to several policies and strategic plans published in recent years. Energy production from CFPPs and subsidizing the coal sector were selected for reducing the import dependency as a cheaper option. CFPPs with gaseous emissions as well as fly ash and fine dust, along with ash storage, coal storage, and coal mining operations and water use for cooling of the plants, affect the environmental quality.

Evaluation of microplastics removal efficiency at a wastewater treatment plant discharging to the Sea of Marmara.

Levels, composition and fate of microplastics (MPs) were investigated along different compartments of a secondary wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) with nutrient removal on the northern Sea of Marmara coast (Istanbul, Turkey). When all samples were combined, fibers were found to be the most dominant particles, followed by hard fragments. 500-1000 μm and 1000-2000 μm were the most common size ranges for wastewater and sludge, respectively.