Grantee Research Project Results
Removal of Microplastics from a Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plant
EPA Grant Number: SU840406Title: Removal of Microplastics from a Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plant
Investigators: Han, Bangshuai , Gruver, Josh , Venturelli, Paul , Yacoub, Moayad
Current Investigators: Han, Bangshuai , Gruver, Josh , Venturelli, Paul , Yacoub, Moayad , Godfrey, Jaymi , Adjornor, Bless , Mohanta, Tusher , Baniya, Simon , Briddell, Nadia , Ogle, Sarah , Routt, Lillian
Institution: Ball State University
EPA Project Officer: Harper, Jacquelyn
Phase: I
Project Period: July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 (Extended to June 30, 2024)
Project Amount: $25,000
RFA: 18th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2021) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
Description:
Microplastics pollution is a pervasive issue within marine and freshwater environments and has recently emerged as a major contamination concern. Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of microplastics within the food web could result in adverse physical and chemical impacts on the ecosystem and human body. Domestic wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are major hubs that receive and remove pollutants. Despite being largely removed following treatment processes, wastewater effluent is still a major pathway for microplastics to enter the environment due to the high-water discharge rate from WWTPs. However, the removal efficiency and processes of WWTPs regarding microplastics contamination are not well understood, partly due to the inability of testing microplastics in wastewater in a streamlined and standardized way. Current established sampling and testing methods usually take days to complete one sample, with limitations of potential sample contaminations, microplastics loss and inaccuracies. As a result, most studies are conducted in a limited time frame by taking grab samples over a few days and/or at a few sites.
The overall research goal of this project is to address the need to better understand the presence and removal of microplastics in wastewater treatment processes by improving current sampling and testing procedures and considering the temporal and seasonal variation of microplastics pollution. Specific objectives include (1) improving and streamlining current microplastics sampling and testing procedures in wastewater; (2) identifying the quantities and types of microplastics present in wastewater at each major treatment stage; (3) revealing temporal and seasonal variations of the abundance of microplastics entering the studied Wastewater Treatment Plant; (4) connecting the temporal pattern observed in microplastics with local water use patterns and seasonal climate; and (5) analyzing relationships between removal efficiency, flow rate, season, and stages of treatment.
The results of this study will benefit the Muncie Sanitary District, its Bureau of Water Quality (BWQ), and the WWTP by providing long-term monitoring data. The data will add to the knowledge base of current microplastics studies to facilitate better understanding of their existence and removal and will complement the rich water quality dataset collected by the BWQ.
The methodology developed will benefit other WWTPs and researchers in the microplastics field; compared to the variation of testing processes between researchers, this innovative new methodology will be considerably more streamlined, less time consuming, and less confusing.
Moreover, by engaging undergraduate and graduate students, the research will train the next generation scientists and raise awareness of microplastics pollution at an early stage in their careers. The students’ hands-on educational activities will meld organically with classroom activities, advancing BSU’s immersive learning goals to increase student learning, strengthen students’ competitive entry into the job market, and support community engagement.
The PI has engaged with local stakeholders and public agencies, including the BWQ and the Muncie WWTP, to study water quality and quantity and timing regime issues in local water bodies. The research will facilitate improved engagement with other stakeholders, including the EPA, that have interests in the sustainability of water resources under human interruptions.
Objective:
This research aligns well with the P3 approach because it offers solutions to protect the environment, provides science data supporting future innovations of WWTPs, provides cutting edge research results for the EPA to consider in policy-makings regarding microplastics pollution, and benefits community health. The project will provide educational experience for at least one graduate and 3 – 5 undergraduate students. The research outcomes will be shared to local community partners including the BWQ, the WWTP and other interested local parties, and will also be disseminated via local, regional, and international conference presentations and a peer-reviewed publication. The team will also participate the 2022 EPA P3 National Student Design Expo as part of the dissemination plan.
Expected Results:
This Phase I project will produce streamlined microplastics sampling and testing procedures in wastewater and will be disseminated to other researchers. The collected data will serve as a starting point to analyze the quantities and types of microplastics present in wastewater in the influent and at each treatment stage and will reveal temporal and seasonal variations of the abundance of microplastics entering the Muncie WWTP. The project will be expanded pending future support for a Phase II project to collect samples in WWTPs of different sizes and locations and analyzing relationships between removal efficiency, flow rate, season, life style, and stages of treatment. At least a local/regional and an international conference presentation and a peer-reviewed publication will be produced from the research outcomes.
Contribution to Pollution Prevention or Control
Understanding the microplastics removal rates and paths in wastewater treatment processes is critical for making compliance regulations regarding microplastics removal that will protect and improve the environment and public health. The streamlined methodology developed in this research could be deployed by other researchers and community partners; it will be tested for microplastics removal efficiency and pinpoint which treatment stage is most efficient. Future designs of wastewater treatment processes that incorporate these findings will increase benefit to the environment. The long-term monitored data also will reveal the relationships of microplastics to flow rate and the season and water consumption pattern of the local community, providing solid data for scientists and decision-makers to better understand the occurrence and sources of microplastics.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 13 publications for this projectJournal Articles:
Journal Articles have been submitted on this project: View all 2 journal articles for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
design for the environment, sustainable water management, water treatmentProgress and Final Reports:
P3 Phase II:
Removal of Microplastics from a Domestic Wastewater Treatment PlantThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.