| Title |
Beyond Microplastics: Implementation of a Two-Stage Removal Process for Microplastics and Chemical Oxygen Demand in Industrial Wastewater Streams |
| ID_Doc |
6381 |
| Authors |
Sturm, MT; Myers, E; Schober, D; Korzin, A; Schuhen, K |
| Title |
Beyond Microplastics: Implementation of a Two-Stage Removal Process for Microplastics and Chemical Oxygen Demand in Industrial Wastewater Streams |
| Year |
2024 |
| Published |
Water, 16, 2 |
| DOI |
10.3390/w16020268 |
| Abstract |
Wastewater from plastic manufacturing or processing industries is often highly polluted with microplastics (MPs) and high levels of oxidizable organic matter, which results in a high chemical oxygen demand (COD). When industrial wastewater enters wastewater streams, the high microplastic load is a high burden for municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), as they are not sufficiently removed. To prevent MP from entering the WWTPs, an upstream prevention method is essential. This paper presents a pilot-scale plant study for the removal of MP and COD from industrial wastewater that was tested on-site at a plastic manufacturer in Germany. Eight test phases were performed over 3 months, with each test phase processing 1 m3 wastewater and four treatments. Per test phase, 12 samples were analyzed for 5 parameters: COD, total suspended solids (TSSs), particle count, pH, and turbidity. The results showed an average decrease in MP by 98.26 +/- 2.15% measured by TSSs and 97.92 +/- 2.31% measured by particle count. This prevents the emission of 1.1 kg MP/m3 water and an estimated 2.7 t MP/year. The COD was reduced efficiently by 94.3 +/- 8.9%. Besides MP and COD, this treatment allows reuse of water and agglomerates, resulting in a reduction in the CO2 footprint. |
| Author Keywords |
microplastics; microplastic removal; COD removal; industrial wastewater; water reuse; circular economy; wastewater treatment |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) |
| EID |
WOS:001151150100001 |
| WoS Category |
Environmental Sciences; Water Resources |
| Research Area |
Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Water Resources |
| PDF |
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