A Comprehensive Modeling of Microplastic Emission from Wastewater Treatment Plants to the Sea via Rivers in China

Xuan Shi; Youfei Ma; Yunfei Ma; Wanying Lin; Lixin Zhu; Daoji Li; Yindong Tong; Yan Lin

doi:10.1021/acs.est.4c07345

A Comprehensive Modeling of Microplastic Emission from Wastewater Treatment Plants to the Sea via Rivers in China

Xuan Shi
, Youfei Ma
, Yunfei Ma
, Wanying Lin
, Lixin Zhu
, Daoji Li
, Yindong Tong
, Yan Lin^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research (School of Marine Sciences)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are significant sources of microplastic (MP) emissions. In order to quantify the potential MP emission from WWTPs, a database of more than 10,000 WWTPs in China with an estimated MP emission rate was built. The MP riverine retention after emission was also estimated based on Stokes’ law for both fragments and fibers. The results show that the mass of MPs discharged from WWTPs is (4.48 ± 7.48) × 10⁷ kg, yet the amount of MPs released from untreated sewage is (4.55 ± 3.00) × 10⁷ kg, which is comparable to that of treated wastewater, indicating the capacity of wastewater treatment should be further strengthened. The flux of MPs into the sea after river interception is between 4.08 × 10⁷ kg and 8.20 × 10⁷ kg with 14-27% being directly discharged to the sea within 20 km from the shore.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3679-3690
Number of pages	12
Journal	Environmental Science and Technology
Volume	59
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c07345
State	Published - 25 Feb 2025

Keywords

exorheic rivers
fragments and fibers
removal efficiency
riverine transport
sewage

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10.1021/acs.est.4c07345

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title = "A Comprehensive Modeling of Microplastic Emission from Wastewater Treatment Plants to the Sea via Rivers in China",

abstract = "Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are significant sources of microplastic (MP) emissions. In order to quantify the potential MP emission from WWTPs, a database of more than 10,000 WWTPs in China with an estimated MP emission rate was built. The MP riverine retention after emission was also estimated based on Stokes{\textquoteright} law for both fragments and fibers. The results show that the mass of MPs discharged from WWTPs is (4.48 ± 7.48) × 107 kg, yet the amount of MPs released from untreated sewage is (4.55 ± 3.00) × 107 kg, which is comparable to that of treated wastewater, indicating the capacity of wastewater treatment should be further strengthened. The flux of MPs into the sea after river interception is between 4.08 × 107 kg and 8.20 × 107 kg with 14-27\% being directly discharged to the sea within 20 km from the shore.",

keywords = "exorheic rivers, fragments and fibers, removal efficiency, riverine transport, sewage",

author = "Xuan Shi and Youfei Ma and Yunfei Ma and Wanying Lin and Lixin Zhu and Daoji Li and Yindong Tong and Yan Lin",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 American Chemical Society.",

year = "2025",

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day = "25",

doi = "10.1021/acs.est.4c07345",

language = "英语",

volume = "59",

pages = "3679--3690",

journal = "Environmental Science and Technology",

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T1 - A Comprehensive Modeling of Microplastic Emission from Wastewater Treatment Plants to the Sea via Rivers in China

AU - Shi, Xuan

AU - Ma, Youfei

AU - Ma, Yunfei

AU - Lin, Wanying

AU - Zhu, Lixin

AU - Li, Daoji

AU - Tong, Yindong

AU - Lin, Yan

PY - 2025/2/25

Y1 - 2025/2/25

N2 - Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are significant sources of microplastic (MP) emissions. In order to quantify the potential MP emission from WWTPs, a database of more than 10,000 WWTPs in China with an estimated MP emission rate was built. The MP riverine retention after emission was also estimated based on Stokes’ law for both fragments and fibers. The results show that the mass of MPs discharged from WWTPs is (4.48 ± 7.48) × 107 kg, yet the amount of MPs released from untreated sewage is (4.55 ± 3.00) × 107 kg, which is comparable to that of treated wastewater, indicating the capacity of wastewater treatment should be further strengthened. The flux of MPs into the sea after river interception is between 4.08 × 107 kg and 8.20 × 107 kg with 14-27% being directly discharged to the sea within 20 km from the shore.

AB - Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are significant sources of microplastic (MP) emissions. In order to quantify the potential MP emission from WWTPs, a database of more than 10,000 WWTPs in China with an estimated MP emission rate was built. The MP riverine retention after emission was also estimated based on Stokes’ law for both fragments and fibers. The results show that the mass of MPs discharged from WWTPs is (4.48 ± 7.48) × 107 kg, yet the amount of MPs released from untreated sewage is (4.55 ± 3.00) × 107 kg, which is comparable to that of treated wastewater, indicating the capacity of wastewater treatment should be further strengthened. The flux of MPs into the sea after river interception is between 4.08 × 107 kg and 8.20 × 107 kg with 14-27% being directly discharged to the sea within 20 km from the shore.

KW - exorheic rivers

KW - fragments and fibers

KW - removal efficiency

KW - riverine transport

KW - sewage

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85215953572

U2 - 10.1021/acs.est.4c07345

DO - 10.1021/acs.est.4c07345

M3 - 文章

C2 - 39848776

AN - SCOPUS:85215953572

SN - 0013-936X

VL - 59

SP - 3679

EP - 3690

JO - Environmental Science and Technology

JF - Environmental Science and Technology

IS - 7

ER -

A Comprehensive Modeling of Microplastic Emission from Wastewater Treatment Plants to the Sea via Rivers in China

Abstract

Keywords

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