Accumulation of persistent organic pollutants by MPs in coastal wastewater treatment plants

Jia-An Ye; Lin-Chi Wang; Ta-Kang Liu

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116922

Accumulation of persistent organic pollutants by MPs in coastal wastewater treatment plants

Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 Oct:207:116922. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116922. Epub 2024 Sep 6.

Authors

Jia-An Ye¹, Lin-Chi Wang², Ta-Kang Liu³

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Ocean Technology and Marine Affairs, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan.
² Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, No.142, Haijhuan Rd., Nanzih Dist., Kaohsiung City 81157, Taiwan.
³ Institute of Ocean Technology and Marine Affairs, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan. Electronic address: tkliu@mail.ncku.edu.tw.

PMID: 39243473
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116922

Abstract

The abundance and fate of microplastics (MPs) in wastewater treatment plants (WTPs) has been reported extensively. However, in the wastewater, the extent to which hazardous chemicals such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) accumulated by MPs not been clearly explored. In this study, MPs was sampled from influents and effluents in WTPs to characterize POPs in sorption within MPs. The highest concentrations of PCDD/Fs, PBDD/Fs, PBDEs, and PCBs in sorption within MPs from untreated influents were 5310, 2310, 5,220,000, and 22,700 pg/g, respectively. The most toxic congener, 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD, accounts for up to 32.3 % of the contribution to PCDD/Fs within MPs. Furthermore, the concentration of PCDD/Fs within MPs from untreated influents could be up to 27.7 times higher than that in microplastic pellets on the coastal beach. This study highlights the quantitative evidence of the POPs within MPs present in untreated influents.

Keywords: Dioxin; Dioxin-like PCBs; Microplastics; Wastewater.

MeSH terms

Environmental Monitoring*
Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / analysis
Microplastics* / analysis
Persistent Organic Pollutants
Polychlorinated Biphenyls / analysis
Waste Disposal, Fluid*
Wastewater* / chemistry
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical
Wastewater
Microplastics
Persistent Organic Pollutants
Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers
Polychlorinated Biphenyls