The potential for a plastic recycling facility to release microplastic pollution and possible filtration remediation effectiveness
Brown, Erina and MacDonald, Anna and Allen, Steve and Allen, Deonie (2023) The potential for a plastic recycling facility to release microplastic pollution and possible filtration remediation effectiveness. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, 10. 100309. ISSN 2772-4166 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2023.100309)
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Abstract
With current plastic production and the growing problem of global plastic pollution, an increase and improvement in plastic recycling is needed. There is limited knowledge or assessment of microplastic pollution from point sources such as plastic recycling facilities globally. This pilot study investigates microplastic pollution from a mixed plastics recycling facility in the UK to advance current quantitative understanding of microplastic (MP) pollution release from a plastic recycling facility to receiving waters. Raw recycling wash water were estimate to contain microplastic counts between 5.97× 106 – 1.12 × 108 MP m−3 (following fluorescence microscopy analysis) . The microplastic pollution mitigation (filtration installed) was found to remove the majority of microplastics >5μm, with high removal efficiencies for microplastics >40μm. Microplastics <5μm were generally not removed by the filtration and subsequently discharged, with 59-1184 tonnes potentially discharged annually. It is recommended that additional filtration to remove the smaller microplastics prior to wash discharge is incorporated in the wash water management. Evidence of microplastic wash water pollution suggest it may be important to integrate microplastics into water quality regulations. Further studies should be conducted to increase knowledge of microplastic pollution from plastic recycling processes.
ORCID iDs
Brown, Erina, MacDonald, Anna, Allen, Steve and Allen, Deonie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4038-9394;-
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Item type: Article ID code: 85425 Dates: DateEvent31 May 2023Published1 May 2023Published Online1 May 2023AcceptedSubjects: Technology > Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) > Environmental engineering Department: Faculty of Engineering > Civil and Environmental Engineering Depositing user: Pure Administrator Date deposited: 09 May 2023 16:12 Last modified: 10 Oct 2024 00:31 URI: https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/85425