Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1072554
• WATER COMPANY VIEW to be of detriment to the environment, then water companies will work with the regulators to understand the best method for reduction. "We would favour interventions at source rather than end of pipe solu- tions, as source control is likely to be less carbon and energy intensive and therefore the more sustainable option," she adds. Evidence gathering on microplastics is likely to play a part in the yet-to-be- scoped CIP3 (Chemical Investigations Programme 3) over the next five-year regulatory period, and any control meas- ures or investment needs springing from it would not come into force until AMP8 (2025-30). Research needed on health risks Last year saw two pieces of research, widely reported in the media, which raised question marks over microplastics and human health. A study released in October from the University of Vienna confirmed for the first time that micro- plastics have found their way into human bodies, with the eye-catching finding that 20 pieces of microplastic can be found in every 10g of faeces. A March 2018 study by the State University of New York in Fredonia found that of 259 bottled water tested, all but 17 contained microplastics, and one brand contained 10,000 pieces in a litre of water. These studies not only highlight the need for more research into microplastics and human health, but highlight the wide range of definition of a microplastic. While we can all agree that neither aquat- ic animals nor humans ought to be swal- lowing 5mm pieces of plastic, the smallest microplastics detected are a million times smaller in size (0.005µm) and the effects - if any – of ingesting such materials are almost completely unknown. Matt Hill, Environmental Lead Advi- sor at Yorkshire Water, says that the evidence is clear that microplastics are "ubiquitous" in the environment, but the evidence that they are causing damage is not compelling yet. "Generally, we're at a very early stage in understanding the risk microplastics pose to health and the environment," says Hill. "We use the term microplastics to talk about a diverse group of over a hundred different chemical compounds. Each of these may have a different impact, and the impact may vary according to the microplastics' size and shape. Decades ago the general public was alarmed about 'heavy metals', without an understanding of the different toxicities of, for example chromium III and chromium VI. "I believe we are currently at that stage with microplastics; new technology has allowed identification of them in all parts of the environment, including biota and humans. The research being carried out by water companies and many other organisations will help determine the impact of these ubiquitous particles." 14 | FEBRUARY 2019 | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk mance estimation is that there is a lack of consensus on how to measure the amount of microplastic before and a£er treatment, explains Jennifer Hughes, Chemical Inves- tigation Analyst at Thames Water. "Research has been undertaken in the UK and further afield to understand the effectiveness of different treatment tech- nologies at removing microplastics, with the results showing varying amounts of removal," says Hughes. "This is partly due to a lack of standardised methodology for sampling, analysis and quantification of the amount of microplastics present. It also reflects the differences in waste water treatment processes at different sewage works and the varying influent concentra- tions." To help address this, Thames is one of the water companies participating in UKWIR's 'Sink to River – River to Tap' research. Using a sampling and analysis methodology developed by the centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), this project will help the industry understand better how much microplastic is present in its wastewater treatment works and its sludge. It will work out how best to quan- tify the amounts (either volume, mass or some other unit) which will enable a direct comparison of sewage works. The Environment Agency, Defra and the Drinking Water Inspectorate are all involved in the UKWIR project, and Hughes says that if the amounts being discharged to watercourses are shown The Works: microplastics Washing synthetic clothes leads to microfibres being shed into wastewater