Preventing Microplastic Release into Oceans through Wastewater Treatment Technologies

As the use of plastics in daily life and industrial manufacturing skyrocketed with technological advances, the problem of plastics and manmade microbeads entering the oceans and breaking down into microplastics that can harm humans and marine animals is becoming a rising concern due to improper disposal and treatment of plastic waste. There are currently no technology specifically aiming for capturing and collecting microplastics that existed in the ocean; therefore, it is essential to reduce and eventually prevent further input of plastics from land into the ocean via wastewater discharge. Based on an analysis of two wastewater treatments from their mechanisms, effectiveness, costs, and applications, research found that while Immersed and Sidestream membrane bioreactors are more efficient than other technologies at capturing and reducing plastics, they run the risk of missing or even generating secondary microplastics in the wastewater treatment processes, so there are emergent needs for improvements on the technologies as well as increasing awareness globally.