Microplastic Removal Techniques in Domestic and Municipal Wastewater: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Microplastics can be lethal to human health and the environment. Due to the increasing amount of microplastics in the environment, it is significant to access and determine the different methods and techniques to reduce and remove the microplastics in the environment, particularly in wastewater. This study has conducted a systematic review to analyze and identify what kinds of methods and techniques are suitable for the microplastic removal of domestic and municipal wastewater. The researchers utilized search engines and research databases, namely Google Scholar, Science Direct/ Elsevier, NCBI, and IWA Publishing, to look for and select the eligible literature related to this study. The eligibility criteria of the literature are as follows: clearly stated methods or techniques used in removing microplastics; mentioned the type of microplastics removed; specified wastewater source, either domestic or municipal wastewater; a quantitative scientific paper published between 2016 and 2024; original studies as full-text research or review articles that were published in English; and the studies can be studied in multiple countries. Only the stated eligibility criteria were considered; others not mentioned were excluded. Only 20 of the 134 studies that were downloaded and analyzed by the researchers were eligible for this systematic review. The result of the study showed that the best methods for removing microplastics in primary and secondary treatment are electrocoagulation, electro-flotation (EC/EF), and membrane filtration process (MFP) with 100% removal efficiency. Meanwhile, the most efficient method for tertiary treatment is the laboratory-scale sand filter, with up to 100% removal efficiency.