Chapter 9 - Membrane and filtration processes for microplastic removal

Abstract

While the problems caused by plastic waste have not been completely solved, microplastics have quietly crept into most land and water environments, seriously threatening the ecosystem and significantly impacting human health. Although wastewater treatment plants are the place to handle most pollutants, they are also a source of microplastic waste in the environment, if not managed properly. Various studies deal with treatment technologies, but few mention the importance of tertiary treatment for microplastics (MPs) in wastewater treatment plants. This chapter briefly describes the main characteristics of microplastics, their biodegradation, and their harmful effects on aquatic communities and human health when these microplastics are discharged into the environment. In addition, microplastic removal through filtration (e.g., rapid sand filtration (RSF) and disc filtration (DF)) and several membrane-based methods (such as ultrafiltration (UF), reverse osmosis (RO), membrane bioreactors (MBR)) were also systematically reviewed. The article also commented on the ability to remove MPs and the advantages and disadvantages of different filtration and membrane processes. It shows that tertiary treatment to control microplastic discharge is necessary, and attention should be paid to the development of biodegradable microplastics to minimize the harmful effects of MPs on the environment.