Abstract
The discovery of microplastics in freshwater and drinking water sources has raised concerns about the effectiveness of drinking water treatment facilities in protecting the public from exposure to these potentially harmful particles. Microplastics present in drinking water pose a risk to human health, and there is currently a lack of scientific knowledge about their existence and removal in drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). It is crucial to understand the fate of microplastics in DWTPs as they act as a barrier preventing them from accessing drinking water. The manuscript focuses on the increasing concern of microplastics in freshwater environments, their sources, occurrence, and potential impacts on human health and aquatic ecosystems. The article discusses various techniques used for the detection, characterization, and quantification of microplastics in water. The text also covers the potential negative impacts of microplastics on the environment and human health, and the processes that drinking water treatment plants can use to eliminate microplastics from water. It emphasizes the importance of considering various parameters while implementing treatment strategies and highlights the effectiveness of ozone and UV treatments in speeding up the removal of microplastics. The paper also mentions the use of machine learning techniques for identifying and quantifying the environmental risks of microplastics and aiding in the development of new removal techniques. The article concludes by highlighting the need for regulations for the disposal and usage of microplastics and the importance of developing effective waste management strategies to reduce plastic consumption.
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Data Availability
Relevant data sources are cited in the text and, where applicable, listed in the bibliography.
Abbreviations
- DWTPs:
-
drinking water treatment plants
- PA:
-
polyamide
- PVC:
-
polyvinylchloride
- PP:
-
polypropylene
- PET:
-
polyethylene terephthalate
- PE:
-
polyethylene
- PS:
-
polystyrene
- FTIR:
-
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectroscopy (FTIR)
- FT-NIR:
-
Fourier-transform near-infrared
- AD:
-
adsorption
- UF:
-
ultra-filtration
- RSF:
-
rapid sand filters
- RO:
-
reverse osmosis
- DF:
-
disc filters
- DAF:
-
dissolved air flotation
- SVM:
-
support vector machines
- ANNs:
-
artificial neural networks
- DNNs:
-
deep neural networks
- RDF:
-
random decision forests
- q e :
-
the equilibrium adsorption capacities
- q t :
-
the equilibrium adsorption capacities
- k :
-
the rate constant
- q m :
-
the highest adsorption capability at certain conditions (mg g–1)
- K a :
-
the Langmuir model constant (L mg–1)
- C e :
-
the metal ion concentration at equilibrium (mg L–1)
- K F :
-
the Freundlich model constant
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the Sustainable Water Research Group (SWRG) in the Department of Civil Engineering at Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University for their continuous support during manuscript preparation.
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The authors would like to acknowledge the support received from the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Refineries and Advanced Chemicals, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, with funding grant and financial support for this work through project No. INRC 2318.
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Chowdhury, S.R., Razzak, S.A., Hassan, I. et al. Microplastics in Freshwater and Drinking Water: Sources, Impacts, Detection, and Removal Strategies. Water Air Soil Pollut 234, 673 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-023-06677-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-023-06677-y