A method for the characterisation of microplastics in sludge

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dc.contributor.authorCampo, Pablo
dc.contributor.authorHolmes, Anita
dc.contributor.authorCoulon, Frederic
dc.date.accessioned2019-12-06T10:14:48Z
dc.date.available2019-12-06T10:14:48Z
dc.date.issued2019-11-19
dc.description.abstractMicroplastics (MP) have become a concern owing to their increasing detection in the environment and potential impact on ecosystems. One of the main MP reservoirs is sludge generated during wastewater treatment. Estimates suggest that, through sludge settling, treatment processes remove between 80 and 90 % of MP present in wastewater. Nevertheless, reliable measurements of actual plastics loads retained by sludge are still lacking for management purposes. Hence, our goal was to validate a quick method for MP quantitation in sludge. Recovery tests were conducted with red low-density polyethylene (LDPE) fragments whose sizes ranged between 5 to 1 mm, 1 to 0.5 mm and 500 to 150 μm. For each size fraction, either 10 or 100 LDPE fragments were spiked into wet sludge (50 mL). Subsequent LDPE analysis involved steps such as freeze-drying, sieving, Fenton purification, visual shorting and FTIR identification. When expressed as number of fragments, quantitative (i.e. percentage values between 80 and 100) were obtained regardless of size fraction or initial spiked number. In terms of total spiked LDPE weight, however, recoveries consistently exceeded 100 % because LDPE fragments retained other materials. Such residues contributed to an overestimation of MP by weight up to 33 % of the 500−150 μm fraction.en_UK
dc.identifier.citationCampo P, Holmes A, Coulon F. (2019) A method for the characterisation of microplastics in sludge. MethodsX, Volume 6, pp. 2776-2781en_UK
dc.identifier.issn2215-0161
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2019.11.020
dc.identifier.urihttp://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/14804
dc.language.isoenen_UK
dc.publisherElsevieren_UK
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/*
dc.subjectSludgeen_UK
dc.subjectFT-IRen_UK
dc.subjectMicroplasticsen_UK
dc.subjectSeparationen_UK
dc.titleA method for the characterisation of microplastics in sludgeen_UK
dc.typeArticleen_UK

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