MICROPLASTICS IN URBAN RUNOFF AND WASTEWATER: SOURCES, TRANSPORT, AND ADVANCED REMOVAL TECHNOLOGIES

The microplastics have become the ubiquitous pollutants in urban water bodies, and urban run-off and wastewater
systems have become more identified as the primary routes of transfer of these particles to waterways. Blistering
urbanization, the heightening of anthropogenic processes as well as the vast development of plastic-related
materials have enhanced the creation and mobilization of microplastics among urban landscapes. It is a thoroughly
researched evidence-based article that synthesizes the existing body of knowledge on the origins, transport
processes, and novel technologies to remove microplastics in urban runoff and wastewater systems. Based solely
on the peer-reviewed literature, the study focuses on the main urban sources of microplastics, such as road-related
abrasion, man-made textiles, construction materials, and degradation of urban surfaces, as well as their
physicochemical properties and their spatial-temporal distribution. The transfer and distribution of microplastics
through the stormwater drainage systems and the wastewater treatment facilities are examined critically with
specific focus on hydrological processes, particle-surfaces interaction and process-specific retention and
accumulation effects. In addition, the efficacy of traditional treatment procedures and new developed advanced
removal systems and technologies- filtration systems, nature-based treatment systems, and modular storm water
treatment units are assessed as per the removability rates and the working constraints. The results highlight the
fact that the current urban water treatment frameworks are able to eliminate a significant portion of microplastics,
but still a large amount of them escapes the treatment and finds its way into natural water bodies. The continuous
methodological discrepancies, the absence of long-term monitoring, and the lack of the integration of the
stormwater and wastewater management measures will remain the major issues. The conclusion of this review is
that major research gaps and implications of policy are observed and that urban water management frameworks
and new innovations in treatment should be integrated to effectively limit microplastic pollution in urban waters.