Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: 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 , 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
Objective:
The overall research goal of this project is to address the need for a better understanding of the presence and removal of microplastics in wastewater treatment processes. This involves improving current sampling and testing procedures and considering the temporal and seasonal variation of microplastics pollution. The specific objectives included (1) improving and streamlining current microplastics sampling and testing procedures in wastewater; (2) identifying the quantities and types of microplastics present at each major treatment stage in the Muncie Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP); (3) revealing temporal and seasonal variations of the abundance of microplastics entering the studied WWTP; (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.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Microplastic pollution is a pervasive issue within marine and freshwater environments and has recently emerged as a major contamination concern. The bioaccumulation and biomagnification of microplastics within the food web could result in adverse physical and chemical impacts on both the ecosystem and the human body. Domestic WWTPs are major hubs that receive and remove pollutants. Despite being largely removed during treatment processes, wastewater effluent remains 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 microplastic contamination are not well understood, partly due to the lack of streamlined and standardized methods for sampling and testing microplastics in wastewater. The current established sampling and testing methods usually take 3-7 days to complete a single sample, with limitations of potential sample contaminations, loss of microplastic particles, and inaccuracies. Consequently, most studies are conducted within a limited time frame by taking grab samples over a few days and/or at a few sites. Therefore, this research aimed to tackle the research gaps related to the lack of standard methods, and the data gaps concerning microplastics in wastewater, through the research objectives listed above. The methods have also been applied to freshwater and sediments, along with internal supports provided by Ball State University
(BSU), creating synergistic effects.
The Phase I research successfully achieved its proposed goals in that it creates a set of improved and streamlined microplastic testing methods in environment samples. The methods have then been applied in practical studies in wastewater, freshwater, and sediments, and identified the quantities and types of microplastics present in targeted samples. The PI and students also analyzed the temporal, seasonal, and spatial variations of the abundance of microplastics, and explored the relationships of the pattern with season, sampling location, and human activities.
This research aligns well with the P3 approach because it offers solutions for protecting the environment, provides science data to support future innovations in WWTPs, presents cutting-edge research results regarding microplastic pollution, and benefits community health. Phase I of the project has directly involved five graduate students and three undergraduate students, and indirectly impacted over 60 undergraduate students through classroom instructions. The research outcomes have been shared with local community partners including the Bureau of Water Quality (BWQ), the Muncie WWTP, and other interested local parties such as the Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District, and been disseminated via local, regional, and international conference presentations, two M.S. theses, as well as two peer-reviewed articles.
Conclusions:
While the methodology has been streamlined and simplified, there remain areas where the processes can be and need to be further improved. A significant stage in this enhancement involves the thorough elimination of organic matter within the wastewater to ensure optimal visualization. To achieve this, factors such as chemical dosages, ratios of chemical reagent mixtures, and the duration of the process need to be carefully optimized, which is on-going research with the Phase II support. This optimization will produce multiple benefits, including cost savings, a reduction in environmental contamination, the complete degradation of organic matter, and increase of time efficiency.
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 13 publications | 2 publications in selected types | All 2 journal articles |
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Han B, Yacoub M, Li A, Nicholson K, Gruver J, Neumann K, Sharma S. Human activities increased microplastics contamination in the himalaya mountains. Hydrology 2023;11(1):4. |
SU840406 (Final) |
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Adjornor BY, Han B, Zahran EM, Pichtel J, Wood R. Transport and Deposition of Microplastics at the Water–Sediment Interface:A Case Study of the White River near Muncie, Indiana. Hydrology 2024;11(9):141. |
SU840406 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
occurrence, transport, organic matter, wastewater, sedimentRelevant Websites:
Removal of microplastics from the Muncie wastewater treatment plant Exit
Transport and deposition of microplastics at the water-sediment interface of the White River, Muncie, Indiana Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractP3 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.