Odstranjevanje mikroplastike iz komunalne odpadne vode z rastlinsko čistilno napravo

Gabrič, Maja (author), Kalčikova, Gabriela (mentor)

V zadnjih desetletjih je vedno več pozornosti namenjene različnim onesnaževalom in njihovim negativnim vplivom na okolje. Eden od onesnaževal je tudi mikroplastika. Najdemo jo praktično v vseh ekosistemih, pomemben vir mikroplastike v vodno okolje pa predstavljajo komunalne odpadne vode. Rastlinske čistilne naprave (RČN) se uporabljajo za učinkovito čiščenje odpadne komunalne vode, vendar do sedaj ni znanega veliko o tem kako učinkovite so za odstranjevanje mikroplastike in kako se ta obnaša v RČN. V magistrski nalogi smo uporabili laboratorijsko RČN s kontinuirnim horizontalnim podpovršinskim tokom za čiščenje komunalne odpadne vode z dodatkom mikroplastike (mikrokroglic in vlaken). Preučili smo kako učinkovito RČN zadržuje mikroplastiko, kako se ta porazdeli v sedimentu RČN in kako mikroplastika vpliva na učinkovitost čiščenja odpadne vode. Ugotovili smo, da se mikroplastika učinkovito zadržuje v RČN, saj je bilo na iztoku najdenih le 0,288 % in 0,003 % skupne količine dodanih mikrokroglic oziroma vlaken. Največ mikroplastike se je zadržalo v prvem odseku RČN. Medtem ko mikroplastika ni pomembno vplivala na učinkovitost odstranjevanja organskega onesnaženja ter amonijevih in nitratnih ionov, so se koncentracije nitritnih ionov po dodatku mikroplastike znižale, koncentracije fosfatnih ionov pa zvišale. Rezultati nakazujejo, da je RČN učinkovita za zadrževanje mikroplastike pred vstopom v vodno okolje. Vendar lahko zaradi kopičenja mikroplastike pride do sprememb v kroženju hranil in posledično do sprememb učinkovitosti sistema.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: bioremediacija, čiščenje odpadne vode, mikrokroglice, rastlinske čistilne naprave, vlakna
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
• Year: 2023
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-147497
• COBISS.SI-ID: 162265859
• Publication date in RUL: 06.07.2023

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: Mikroplastic removal from municipal wastewater in constructed wetlands

Abstract

In recent decades, more attention has been paid to various pollutants and their negative effects on the environment. One of these pollutants are also microplastics. They can be found in all ecosystems, and municipal wastewaters are also an important source of microplastics that enter the aquatic environment. Constructed wetlands (CW) are frequently used to treat municipal wastewater, however it is unknown how efficient are CW for removal of microplastics. In the master's thesis, a horizontal subsurface flow laboratory CW with continuous flow was used for the treatment of municipal wastewater with the addition of microplastics (microbeads and fibers). Investigated retention of microplastics and their distribution in the CW as well as the effect of treatment efficiency of municipal wastewater. It was observed that microplastics are efficiently retained in the CW, and only 0.288 % and 0.003 % of the total amount of microbeads and fibers, respectively, were found in the effluent. Most of the microplastics were retained in the initial part of the CW. The presence of microplastics did not significantly affect the removal of carbonaceous matter, ammonium and nitrate ions, but the concentration of nitrite ions decreased, and the concentration of phosphate ions increased after the addition of microplastics. Results indicated that CW are an efficient barrier to the release of microplastics into the aquatic environment. However, the accumulation of microplastics can lead to changes in nutrient cycling and consequently, to changes in the efficiency of the system.

• Keywords: bioremediation, constructed wetlands, fibers, microbeads, wastewater treatment