How to remove microplastics in wastewater? A cost-effectiveness analysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12186159 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Larissa Vuori (University of Helsinki, corresponding author), Markku Ollikainen (0000-0003-3333-4683, University of Helsinki) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 192 |
| Pages | 107246-107246 |
| Publication date | 2021-10-28 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Ecological Economics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0921-8009 • E-ISSN: 1873-6106 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107246 |
| OpenAlex | W3211285791 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 44 |
Millions of tonnes of plastic litter end up annually in the environment causing damage to the ecosystem. There are currently no standards regulating the amount of microplastic in wastewater, and the question is, should there be? Answering this question requires an understanding of damages microplastic causes to the environment and its removal potential from wastewater. This paper examines the cost-effectiveness of three wastewater treatment (activated sludge, rapid sand filtering and membrane bioreactor) and two sludge management technologies (anaerobic digestion and incineration), in terms of their microplastic removal capacity regarding aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. We find removing microplastic from wastewater technically feasible and cost-effective. Membrane bioreactor with sludge incineration preventing removed microlitter from accumulating in soils is the most cost-effective option. This gives grounds for extending government regulation to microplastics in wastewater treatment plants. Policy targeting companies using microplastics in their products is, however, necessary to solve the problem ultimately
Anaerobic digestion · Biology · Incineration · Membrane bioreactor · Microplastics · Sewage treatment · Waste management · Wastewater · biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties · Engineering · Environmental Science · Microplastics and Plastic Pollution · Recycling and Waste Management Techniques · Ecology · Environmental Engineering
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The potential effects of microplastics on human health
Nutrient Abatement Potential and Abatement Costs of Waste Water Treatment Plants in the Baltic Sea Region
Multiple-pollutant cost-efficiency
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |