Microplastics in Urban Water Management

This book focuses on the occurrence, fate, effect and removal of microplastics in the urban water management systems. Although microplastics have been widely detected, deep and comprehensive understanding of environmental behavior of microplastics in urban water management systems are still lacking.

The first chapter of the book introduces techniques for microplastics detection including sample collection, purification, identification and quantitation. The second chapter introduces microplastics in drinking water systems from the aspects of definition, emergence, occurrence and removal of microplastics. Chapters 3-5 focus on the deep understanding of occurrence, fate and effect of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants; for instance, the biological effect on the treatment of wastewater and sludge. Chapters 6-7 provide evidence that the discharge of microplastics from wastewater treatment plants is the important source of microplastics in the receiving waters, and provide feasible methods of enhancing the removal of microplastics. Chapters 8 through 10 address potential environmental risks of microplastic contamination in receiving water systems; for example, the toxicity of microplastic to aquatic organisms such as algae and aquatic animals. Chapters 11-12 provides evidence that microplastics not only is the potential sources of chemicals, but also can absorb and collect environmental contaminants as vectors, with deeply understanding of the causes of environmental risk induced by microplastics. Finally, the last chapter introduces recent advances of nanoplastics, i.e., the nano-sized microplastics, in the aquatic environment.