Microplastics in urban water cycles: Looking for a more scientific approach for sampling and characterization in wastewater and drinking water treatment plants.

Specific campaigns to detect microplastics (MPs) in the urban water cycle were carried out in three drinking water plants and two wastewater treatment plants. A self-designed sampler for MPs detection in water matrices was in this study preliminary validated and then tested in long term campaigns sampling up to 1000 L. Raw drinking water and wastewater show microplastics (MPs) concentrations of 2-11 and of 480-801 MPs/m, respectively, and MPs removals of 47-78 % and of 84-98 %, correspondingly.