Microplastics (MPs) in Wastewater: Determination-Treatment Methods and Effects on Climate Change

This book systematically summarizes the occurrence and source of MPs through various municipal and industrial wastewaters. It covers the type of MPs, its effects on human health and climate, and emerging detection and treatment methods.

Plastics are one of the refractory pollutants produced in many and varied forms using chemistry and materials science. Microplastics (MPs), which are formed as a result of plastics breaking down into small pieces, are a new indicator that indicates that the plastic footprint of humans is growing today and this has become a risk for the general living health and sustainable environment. Depending on the point of use, they are either directly released to the air, water, and soil, or they break down into secondary MPs in the environment where they are discharged. Especially by means of domestic wastewater, plenty of MPs enter the sewage system on a daily basis. Therefore, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) draw attention as an important source of MP pollution in coastal or surface waters such as sea, lake, and river. There is still a limited number of studies on MPs in the literature and it has become the focus of many researchers around the world.

This book mainly focuses on the behavior of microplastics in the wastewaters. The book has 12 chapters and throughout each chapter, it presents the fate and effect of MPs, quantitative and qualitative analyses of MPs in wastewaters and treatment of MPs through conventional and advanced wastewater treatment technologies, effects of MPs on human health and climate change and also evaluates the legal restrictions for MPs pollution in the environment and will also be examined in all details. It also boosts the knowledge of students, researchers, scientists, professors, engineer, and professionals who aspire to work in the field of environmental science, environmental biotechnology, environmental microbiology, civil/environmental engineering, eco-toxicology and other relevant areas of wastewater treatment and management for the safety of environment. In addition to this, the readers of the book can also get the valuable information about the various environmental problems-related climate change and their solutions.