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Do drinking water plants retain microplastics? An exploratory study using Raman micro-spectroscopy.

Luca Maurizi1, Lucian Iordachescu1, Inga V Kirstein2

  • 1Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University, Thomas Manns Vej 23, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark.

Heliyon
|July 24, 2023
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Summary

A Danish drinking water plant removed microplastics (MPs) with 43.2% count efficiency and 75.1% mass efficiency. Smaller MPs (1-5 μm) were retained less effectively, suggesting potential release from plant components.

Keywords:
Drinking waterMicroplasticsNanoplasticsPlastic pollutionRaman micro-spectroscopyWater quality

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Water Treatment Technology
  • Analytical Chemistry

Background:

  • Microplastic (MP) contamination is a growing concern in drinking water sources.
  • Understanding the removal efficiency of water treatment plants is crucial for public health.
  • Previous studies have often focused on larger microplastic particles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the removal of microplastics (MPs) down to 1 μm by a Danish drinking water treatment plant.
  • To assess the efficiency of MP removal based on both particle counts and mass.
  • To investigate the influence of MP size on retention efficiency.

Main Methods:

  • Raman micro-spectroscopy (μRaman) was used for MP quantification.
  • Water samples were collected from the inlet and outlet over five consecutive days.
  • A custom-made filtration device with 1 μm steel filters was employed to process approximately 1 m³ of water per sample.

Main Results:

  • Treated water contained an average of 1.4 MP counts/L (4 pg/L).
  • Overall treatment efficiency was 43.2% for MP counts and 75.1% for MP mass.
  • Retention efficiency decreased significantly for smaller MPs (41.1% below 5 μm) compared to larger ones (79.6% above 10 μm).
  • Variability in MP retention suggested potential release of small MPs from plant components.

Conclusions:

  • The drinking water treatment plant demonstrated moderate efficiency in removing microplastics.
  • Smaller microplastic particles (<5 μm) pose a greater challenge for removal.
  • Potential release of nanoplastics (NPs) from internal plant components warrants further investigation.