Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The majority of research on microplastic (MP) characterization and removal has focused on municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Hence, this study was performed at an industrial zone WWTP with sectors of textile, plastic recycling, furniture, etc. Three monthly sampling campaigns were conducted to analyze the MPs (abundance, shape, color, size, polymer type) and to investigate their fate and removal rate in the WWTP. Furthermore, the environmental risk assessment using EPI Suite modeling was conducted for common MP polymer types. The results indicated that the highest MP concentration was detected in the sludge sample (3,734 MP/L), whereas the lowest one was observed in the effluent sample (52 MP/L). Whereas large MPs (5 mm to 425 & micro;m) were removed by primary treatment processes, smaller MPs (250 to 125 & micro;m) showed a tendency for accumulation in the sludge. The most dominant MP shapes were fiber and fragment in both wastewater and sludge samples, whereas the most dominant polymer types were polypropylene (38%), polyethylene (24%), and polyethylene terephthalate (11%). The environmental risk assessment reveals that polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, and polystyrene, present in minimal quantities in this study, are more likely to impact the growth of living organisms significantly compared to more common polymer types like polypropylene and polyethylene. Although the overall MP removal efficiency of the industrial zone WWTP was 88%, a significant quantity of MPs (1.5 & times; 109 MP/day) was still discharged into the K & imath;z & imath;l & imath;rmak river that is used mostly for irrigation. Effective control/reduction of MP discharge necessitates the implementation of tertiary treatment processes in industrial zone WWTPs to prevent soil pollution. Key points The organized industrial zone wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) microplastic removal rate is 88%.The most dominant polymer types are polypropylene and polyethylene.The annual discharge of microplastics (MPs) in the receiving water body is 5.6 & times; 1011 MP/year.This is one of the few MP characterization and removal studies in an industrial zone WWTP.