Kim, Min-Ji SANG HEON NA Rida Batool Insu Byun Kim, Eun Ju 2024-01-12T03:00:15Z 2024-01-12T03:00:15Z 2022-07-03 2022-09 0304-3894 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/76622 Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is proposed to be a point source of microplastics (MPs) that enter aquatic environments. Here, we quantified and characterized MPs down to 20 mu m at a tertiary WWTP in Korea over a 1year period. All wastewater contained MPs during the monitoring period, with concentrations ranging from 114 +/- 17-216 +/- 65 particles/L for influent and from 0.26 +/- 0.29-0.48 +/- 0.11 particles/L for effluent. MP abundance in the influents showed significant seasonal differences whereas a seasonal trend was not observed for the effluents, indicating a stable treatment performance (approx. 99.8%) of the WWTP. Spatial surveys of MP distribution in the WWTP showed that most MPs were removed by coagulation-sedimentation and rapid sand filtration, but some MPs still remained in the final effluent to generate the potential annual load of 2.9 x 109 particles and 0.54 kg into the rivers. These findings highlight the importance of long-term monitoring and MP mass quantification that would promote more accurate estimation of the MP load from WWTPs. English Elsevier BV Seasonal variation and spatial distribution of microplastics in tertiary wastewater treatment plant in South Korea Article 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129474 1 Journal of Hazardous Materials, v.438 Journal of Hazardous Materials 438 Y scie scopus 000827857800004 Engineering, Environmental Environmental Sciences Engineering Environmental Sciences & Ecology Article FATE REMOVAL PARTICLES Microplastics Tertiary treatment Removal Season Annual load