Estimation of Microplastics Emitted by Bucharest Households in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Abstract

AbstractWastewater treatment plants release substantial amounts of microplastics (MPs) into the environment. Various models and scenarios have been developed to estimate the sources and concentrations of MPs released by effluents. However, no model has included wastewater from washing machines. This study aims to estimate, in three scenarios, the number of MPs that are released by Bucharest households into the municipal wastewater treatment plant. The highest number of MPs has been estimated to be emitted by washing machines from synthetic clothing. From the category of cosmetics, the highest number of particles per year is potentially generated by face and hand creams. It has been estimated that the effluent of the wastewater treatment plant contains 48–4251 MP L−1 for the three proposed scenarios. The study shows that the population of Bucharest can generate high numbers of MPs, even in the minimum scenario. However, the use of MPs is expected to decrease, due to implementation of European Union policies, responsible consumer behavior, effective plastic waste management, and improved detection and separation technologies.