United States
Environmental
Protection Agency

Removal of Microplastics from Domestic Wastewater

Moayad Yacoub, Jaymi Godfrey, Bless Ajornor, Nadia Briddle & Dr. Bangshuai Han

Environment, Geology, & Natural Resources, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, 47306

PEOPLE

PROSPERITY

PLANET

Contact Name: Bangshuai Han I bhan@bsu.edu I 765-285-5790

Background and motivation

Research Design & Methods

Preliminary Results

LARGER PLASTIC
PRODUCTS

Sampling

PERSONAL HYGIENE
PRODUCTS

MICROPLASTIC

Global plastic production has been increasing;
Microplastics (MPs) are widespread, either
manufactured in small size or are degraded from
macroplastics

An emerging environmental and public health concern
(picture adapted from Plastics Europe 2021)

Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) receive wastes,
including microplastics, from point and non-point
sources

Although not designed to treat MPs, WWTP can
eliminate most of the MPs

There are still numerous microplastic particles being
released into the environment via wastewater effluent
Current sampling and testing methods take days to
complete one sample, with potential sample
contaminations, microplastics loss, and inaccuracies.

Goals and Objectives

Research goals

To better understand the presence and removal of
microplastics in wastewater by improving current
sampling and testing procedures
Specific objectives at Phase I

Improving and streamlining current microplastics
sampling and testing procedures in wastewater
• identifying the quantities and types of microplastics
present in the Muncie WWTP at each major treatment
stage

Grit



Primary



Activated



Secondary



Chamber



Sedimentatin



Sludge



Sedimentation



Primary Sludge

Return
Sludge

Coarse
Screening

Influent:
Combined Sewer

Excess
Sludge

Filtration





U
Radi

V

ation



*

Sludge
Treatment

Sampling
locations

Effluent:
Treated
Wastewater

Grab samples taken from Feb to May 2022 from the
Muncie WWTP (domestic wastewater)

Treatment processes and MPs sampling sites are
illustrated in the picture

Sample Collection

Filtration & Digestion

Density Separation & Coloration

Optical Identification

Organic matter (OM) removal efficiency tests

Presence of OM interferes with visual detection of MPs

Fenton reagent has been commonly used to digest OM

for better MP visualization

Optimal dosage of Fenton reagent unclear

Peat moss was used as an example of rich-OM material

to test OM removal efficiency

Two levels of peat moss was digested for 30 min, each
using the reagent ratio shown in the table below

Treatment#

H202 (ml)

Fe2+ solution (ml)

No Treatment

—

—

Treatment 1

70

10

Treatment 2

70

5

Treatment 3

35

10

Treatment 4

35

5

OM content left after digestion was determined using Loss
on Ignition (LOI) method

Dry samples at 150°C for 2 hours, weigh

Raise temperature to 550°C for 2 hours, weigh again

Calculate OM % using the formula:

/-mi n/ weight at 150 °C - weight at 550 °C

UM % =	—		——	 X ll)l)%

weight at 150 °C

The original content of OM in the dry peat moss was
found to be 76.83 ± 3.53 %. (No Treatment)

The best optimal combination for high level of peat moss
is Treatment 3 and for low level is Treatment 1

Sample weight

2.221 ±0.11 g

0.795 ± 0.03 g

Treatment

OM % after digestion

Treatment 1

65.73 ± 3.51 %

48.15 ±6.83%

Treatment 2

71.16 ±2.23%

62.59 ± 2.53 %

Treatment 3

62.92 ± 5.25 %

58.50 ± 3.75 %

Treatment 4

71.49 ±2.37%

70.40 ± 0.79 %

392 liters collected

Fragments and Films: 1,089
in total (35.1%)

Fibers: 2,009 in total,
(64.7%)

Foams: 7 in total (0.2%)

~ Fragments & Films ~ Fibers ¦ Foams

Next Steps

Conduct more experiments and build a rating curve for
the best Fenton dosage at various OM concentrations

Eliminate unnecessary intermediate steps and reduce
the running time

Collect rich carbon material from wastewater treatment
for further testing.

Supporting People, Planet &
Prosperity

Benefit Local Collaborators

•	Muncie Sanitary District, its Bureau of Water Quality
(BWQ), and the WWTP by first-hand data of MPs in
their water

Benefit science community

•	Add to the knowledge base of current MP studies to
better understand their existence and removal and
complement the rich water quality dataset of the BWQ
Provide a testing protocol that is considerably more
streamlined, less time-consuming, and less confusing

Benefit Ball State University

•	Train three graduate students, and involve
undergraduate students

Benefit the Society

Provide data supporting future innovations and decision-
making on MP contamination control and regulation

Muncie

SANITARY DISTRICT

www.epa.gov/research

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