Wastewater microplastic microbiome characterization
The goal of the study was to quantify and characterize microplastics in three critical stages of wastewater treatment, and to analyze bacterial assemblages attached to microplastics to determine if the composition of these assemblages changes during transport through domestic WWTPs. We sampled two activated sludge WWTPs in Illinois that are point sources of microplastics to their receiving streams. For each plant we characterized microplastics and associated bacterial assemblages in raw sewage, effluent water, and sludge.