Aquatic Aerobic Biodegradation of Commonly Flushed Materials in Aerobic Wastewater Treatment Plant Solids, Seawater, and Lakewater
Microfibers and microplastics originating from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are significant pollutants in freshwater sources and marine environments. This research investigated the biodegradation of cotton microfibers generated from bleached cotton jersey knit fabric and commercially...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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North Carolina State University
2023-12-01
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| Series: | BioResources |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ojs.cnr.ncsu.edu/index.php/BRJ/article/view/22833 |
| _version_ | 1797348736985202688 |
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| author | Madilynn M. Smith Marielis Zambrano Mary Ankeny Jesse Daystar Steven Pires Joel Pawlak Richard A. Venditti |
| author_facet | Madilynn M. Smith Marielis Zambrano Mary Ankeny Jesse Daystar Steven Pires Joel Pawlak Richard A. Venditti |
| author_sort | Madilynn M. Smith |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Microfibers and microplastics originating from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are significant pollutants in freshwater sources and marine environments. This research investigated the biodegradation of cotton microfibers generated from bleached cotton jersey knit fabric and commercially available flushable wipes, polypropylene-based (PP) nonwoven wipes containing a cellulose component, and tissue paper. Biodegradation was tested in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) solids, seawater, and lakewater according to the ISO 14852 and ASTM D6691 standard methods in an ECHO respirometer. Degradation experiments continued until a plateau in CO2 emissions was reached, and the final biodegradation extent was calculated relative to the theoretical CO2 produced based on elemental analysis. The results showed that the cotton and other cellulosic materials/components biodegrade to a great extent, as expected for all conditions, whereas the PP did not degrade. In general, for the cellulose polypropylene composite wipes, the cellulose biodegraded readily; the presence of the PP did not hinder the cellulose biodegradation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:10:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0ca3c5bcc21d465c8e9e60566ec8a798 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1930-2126 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:10:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | North Carolina State University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BioResources |
| spelling | doaj.art-0ca3c5bcc21d465c8e9e60566ec8a7982024-01-22T20:08:42ZengNorth Carolina State UniversityBioResources1930-21262023-12-0119111501164902Aquatic Aerobic Biodegradation of Commonly Flushed Materials in Aerobic Wastewater Treatment Plant Solids, Seawater, and LakewaterMadilynn M. Smith0Marielis Zambrano1Mary Ankeny2Jesse Daystar3Steven Pires4Joel Pawlak5Richard A. Venditti6Department of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8005, Raleigh NC 27695-8005 USADepartment of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8005, Raleigh NC 27695-8005 USACotton Incorporated, Cary NC 27513, USACotton Incorporated, Cary NC 27513, USA; Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham NC 27708, USACotton Incorporated, Cary NC 27513, USADepartment of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8005, Raleigh NC 27695-8005 USADepartment of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8005, Raleigh NC 27695-8005 USAMicrofibers and microplastics originating from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are significant pollutants in freshwater sources and marine environments. This research investigated the biodegradation of cotton microfibers generated from bleached cotton jersey knit fabric and commercially available flushable wipes, polypropylene-based (PP) nonwoven wipes containing a cellulose component, and tissue paper. Biodegradation was tested in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) solids, seawater, and lakewater according to the ISO 14852 and ASTM D6691 standard methods in an ECHO respirometer. Degradation experiments continued until a plateau in CO2 emissions was reached, and the final biodegradation extent was calculated relative to the theoretical CO2 produced based on elemental analysis. The results showed that the cotton and other cellulosic materials/components biodegrade to a great extent, as expected for all conditions, whereas the PP did not degrade. In general, for the cellulose polypropylene composite wipes, the cellulose biodegraded readily; the presence of the PP did not hinder the cellulose biodegradation.https://ojs.cnr.ncsu.edu/index.php/BRJ/article/view/22833biodegradationsustainabilitycellulosemicrofibers |
| spellingShingle | Madilynn M. Smith Marielis Zambrano Mary Ankeny Jesse Daystar Steven Pires Joel Pawlak Richard A. Venditti Aquatic Aerobic Biodegradation of Commonly Flushed Materials in Aerobic Wastewater Treatment Plant Solids, Seawater, and Lakewater BioResources biodegradation sustainability cellulose microfibers |
| title | Aquatic Aerobic Biodegradation of Commonly Flushed Materials in Aerobic Wastewater Treatment Plant Solids, Seawater, and Lakewater |
| title_full | Aquatic Aerobic Biodegradation of Commonly Flushed Materials in Aerobic Wastewater Treatment Plant Solids, Seawater, and Lakewater |
| title_fullStr | Aquatic Aerobic Biodegradation of Commonly Flushed Materials in Aerobic Wastewater Treatment Plant Solids, Seawater, and Lakewater |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aquatic Aerobic Biodegradation of Commonly Flushed Materials in Aerobic Wastewater Treatment Plant Solids, Seawater, and Lakewater |
| title_short | Aquatic Aerobic Biodegradation of Commonly Flushed Materials in Aerobic Wastewater Treatment Plant Solids, Seawater, and Lakewater |
| title_sort | aquatic aerobic biodegradation of commonly flushed materials in aerobic wastewater treatment plant solids seawater and lakewater |
| topic | biodegradation sustainability cellulose microfibers |
| url | https://ojs.cnr.ncsu.edu/index.php/BRJ/article/view/22833 |
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