Fact sheet 10.2: Microplastics in wastewater systems

The pathways of microplastics into the wastewater system are manifold. This results in different boundary conditions to which the sampling procedure for microplastics in the wastewater system has to be adapted.

Fact sheet 10.2: Microplastics in wastewater systems

What is the sampling procedure? What are the challenges?

The use of plastics permeates all areas of human life. Accordingly, microplastics are also produced in a variety of ways and are transported away via wastewater systems. However, little is known about which microplastic types and size distributions are found in the various wastewater streams, how well sewage treatment plants retain these loads and what ends up in water bodies.

The joint project RUSEKU has developed representative investigation methods that can measure the microplastic content across the different areas of the water cycle more accurately and more quickly. The focus was on sampling methods in the urban wastewater system and in flowing waters.

The factsheet is available for download here.

Year
2022
Attachments
Fact sheet 10.2 of the BMBF Research Focus Plastics in the Environment
Type of Result
Citation

Abusafia, Attaallah; Scheid, Christian; Altmann, Korinna; Bannick, Claus-Gerhard; Braun, Ulrike; Steinmetz, Heidrun (2021): Microplastics in wastewater systems: What is the sampling procedure? What are the challenges? Factsheet 10.2 of the BMBF research focus Plastics in the Environment

Joint project
RUSEKU
( top of page )( zum Seitenanfang )