Wastewater treatment plants as conduits for microfibers and other contaminants to enter Lake Ontario

Session: Poster Session

Samantha Athey, University of Toronto, [email protected]
Paul Helm, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, [email protected]
Amila De Silva, Environment and Climate Change Canada, [email protected]
Liisa Jantunen, Environment and Climate Change Canada, [email protected]
Chelsea Rochman, University of Toronto, [email protected]
Miriam Diamond, Dept. of Geography, University of Toronto, [email protected]

Abstract

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) can be conduits for microplastics and other chemical contaminants to enter aquatic environments. The most common type of microplastics found in WWTP effluent are microfibers. Microfibers are generated during the laundering of textiles, and thus washing our clothing is one source of microfibers discharged to WWTPs. Laundry may also be a source of chemical contaminants to wastewater, including flame retardants (FRs) and perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS), which have been contained in products within our homes and businesses. The objectives of this study were to determine the quantity and types of MP, FRs and PFAS in WWTP effluent released to western Lake Ontario from representative WWTPs in the area and to estimate contaminant daily and annual discharge from example WWTPs to Lake Ontario. Three replicate 24-h composite samples of final effluent were collected for microplastic and chemical analysis from two WWTPs. Averaging across both facilities, 31±18 anthropogenic particles were found per L of final effluent with microfibers composing 79% of all particles found. WWTPs discharge millions of liters of effluent each day. Our preliminary results that approximately 0.5 - 5.7 billion microfibers are discharged daily via the selected WWTPs into Lake Ontario.

Twitter handle of presenter
@sustainablesam_