Removal and pathways of microplastics in decentralized wastewater treatment facilities | |
| Author | Mutita Wattanasuk |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.EV-23-09 |
| Subject(s) | Microplastics--Environmental aspects Wastewater--Treatment |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Microplastics (MPs) are a growing concern for the environment and human health, and their presence in wastewater is of particular concern. Decentralized wastewater treatment systems are increasingly being implemented in developing countries, it is necessary to understand their performance in removing microplastics from municipal wastewater. Hence, this study investigated the abundance, distribution of microplastics (MPs) in different types of wastewaters in Thailand, including residential, commercial, aquaculture, industrial, and hospital wastewaters, and also studied the fate and elimination of microplastics in different decentralized wastewater technologies. The study found hospital wastewater having the highest concentration, followed by industrial, residential, commercial, and aquaculture wastewater accounting for 155.17 ± 96.87, 130, 73.27 ± 24.35, 73.83 ± 53.50, and 49.33 ± 6.59 Particles/L. Small particles below 500 μm were the most relevant, which occur 50 % of the detected MPs, fibers were the primary shapes of MPs in municipal wastewater. Polyester was the mostly observed polymer type, accounting for 33.39 %. Depending on the intensity of urbanization, it has been observed that wastewaters discharged in suburban wastewater exhibit the highest concentration of microplastics (MPs), followed by urban and rural areas. This can be attributed to the higher population density and specific sources generating plastic waste. Different types of wastewater sources had different major MP sources. The study also found that decentralized wastewater treatment systems outperformed centralized wastewater treatment plants in removing MPs, with an average MP removal rate of 97.69 ± 1.10 %. Daily mass flux calculations showed that MP leakages occurred through sludge disposal and effluent discharge approximately billion particles/d. |
| Year | 2023 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Environmental Engineering and Management (EV) |
| Chairperson(s) | Xue, Wenchao |
| Examination Committee(s) | Thammarat Koottatep;Cruz, Simon Guerrero |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Royal Thai Government Fellowship |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2023 |