Presence, identification and characterization of microplastics in a water treatment plant in a municipality in northern Paraná
Abstract
The large use of plastic materials and their importance in everyday life has become the focus of recent environmental concerns, mainly due to their improper disposal. Used on a large scale, plastic waste reaches aquatic ecosystems in abundance, where it undergoes degradation processes, generating a new class of emerging contaminants: microplastics (fragments smaller than 5mm in diameter). In recent years, several studies have reported the presence of these microplastics in aquatic ecosystems, raising questions and concerns regarding the impacts that this contaminant in drinking water can have on human health and ecosystems. This problem becomes a concern when microplastics are present in freshwater sources (surface and aquifers) in small concentrations. In this case, detection and removal becomes difficult, directly influencing the determination of the use of this water. The main objective of this study is to investigate the possible presence of microplastics in a Water Treatment Plant located in the North of the State of Paraná, being collected samples of raw water and after each stage of treatment of the WTP, as well as to evaluate the treatments used in relation to the presence of these contaminants. After collection with glass vials, the samples will undergo digestion of organic matter, separation by density and filtration, to be visually analyzed under a stereoscope, in order to identify the shape, size and quantity of microplastics. To analyze the morphology of the…
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