The difficulty in treating microplastic wastewater lies in its small size and complex chemical properties, which make it difficult for conventional wastewater treatment methods to completely remove these pollutants. Firstly, microplastics come in various sizes, ranging from a few micrometers to a few millimeters, which makes it difficult to determine effective treatment methods. Secondly, microplastics can adsorb harmful substances such as heavy metals in water, increasing the complexity of treatment. In addition, wastewater treatment plants typically use primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment, but even in tertiary treatment, the removal rate of microplastics often cannot reach 100%.
In practical operation, although some advanced filtration technologies such as membrane filtration and ultrafiltration can effectively remove microplastics, these methods are costly and may affect water quality. In addition, the accumulation of microplastics in sludge is also a problem, as these sludge may ultimately be used for soil improvement, thereby reintroducing microplastics into the environment.
To address these challenges, researchers are exploring new solutions such as electrocoagulation and magnetic extraction techniques, which can improve the removal efficiency of microplastics. At the same time, the Wasser 3.0 project proposes an innovative "detect, remove, reuse" strategy aimed at improving the removal efficiency of microplastics through standardized testing and process control, and treating waste as a resource for recycling.
Although current technology has been able to reduce microplastic emissions to some extent, further research and technological improvements are still needed to achieve more efficient removal. Raising public awareness of the hazards of microplastics and promoting the development of relevant policies are also important ways to address this issue.
