Microplastics in municipal wastewater treatment plants in Turkey: a comparison of the influent and secondary effluent concentrations

GÜNDOĞDU S., ÇEVİK C., GÜZEL E., KİLERCİOĞLU S.

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT, cilt.190, sa.11, 2018 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 190 Sayı: 11
  • Basım Tarihi: 2018
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s10661-018-7010-y
  • Dergi Adı: ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Wastewater treatment plant, Microplastic, Microfibre, Polyester, Turkey, NE LEVANTINE COAST, MARINE-ENVIRONMENT, MERSIN BAY, POLLUTION, SEA, REMOVAL, RIVER
  • Çukurova Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Wastewater treatment plants are one of the primary pathways through which microplastics enter aquatic environments. In this study, we have determined the microplastic concentrations of the influent and secondary effluent water of two wastewater treatment plants in Turkey. For this purpose, we have taken samples of the influent and effluent water of Seyhan and Yureir wastewater treatment facilities for 6 days in August 2017 and determined their microplastics' content both visually and using mu-Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that the influent of the wastewater treatment contained 1 million-6.5 million particles per day, while the effluent contained 220,000-1.5 million particles per day. The removal rate of microplastics was found to be between 73 and 79%. In total, seven different types of polymers were detected. The most frequently observed polymer type was polyester.