Wastewater treatment plants are not effectively removing this tiny pollutant, study shows.
The potential health and environmental hazards from microplastics filtered into our drinking water is real. Microplastics are tiny solid plastic particles, less than 5 millimeters in size, that result from the breakdown of larger plastics or are directly found in some of the consumer products.
Our recently published research in the peer-reviewed journal Science of the Total Environment systematically reviewed over 120 research articles from the past 10 years on microplastics in wastewater treatment plants.
These articles were selected based on specific criteria, allowing for an in-depth analysis of the occurrence, removal rates and behaviors of microplastic fibers and beads in wastewater and water environments. Our study gives the latest information on where microplastics are found, what happens to them, how they affect health and current regulations. It also includes details about their size and shape, specifically microfibers and microbeads found in wastewater. CONTINUE READING