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Mitigating Microplastics Pollution in Urban Water Systems : Flow, actors, and control measures
Water pollution has long been considered a challenge in urban areas. Urban wastewater and stormwater act as transport pathways for pollutants from urban areas to receiving waters. Microplastics are a pollution problem of growing concern. As part of the zero-pollution action plan for 2050, the European Commission has set the target to reduce emissions of microplastics to the environment by 30% from 2016 to 2030. The majority of the microplastics originate from sources on land, and urban areas are viewed as particular hotspots. More knowledge is needed on the sources and pathways of microplastics within the urban area, such as to and from urban water systems. To be able to reduce microplastics pollution, there is also a need to understand where control measures can be introduced and make an impact in terms of reduced loads to the environment. For control measures to be implemented, there is also a need to understand the incentives and challenges that the actors, who have a responsibility related to the flows, encounter when working with pollution control. The aim of this thesis was to contribute to enhanced understanding of flows of microplastics in urban water systems and how the flows can be controlled, in order to facilitate mitigation actions for these flows. This aim was addressed by identifying and quantifying sources with emissions to urban wastewater and stormwater and pathways from the urban water system, with inspiration from the method substance flow analysis. The estimated sources were also compared to measurements in raw wastewater and stormwater from four different catchments to identify matches and differences. Further, control measures were introduced to the quantified sources and pathways. Municipal officials, who can implement the control measures, were also interviewed about their incentives and challenges when controlling microplastics and other pollutants in the urban water system. The emissions of microplastics to stormwater were estimated to be much higher than those to wastewater. Tyre wear ...
Mitigating Microplastics Pollution in Urban Water Systems : Flow, actors, and control measures
Water pollution has long been considered a challenge in urban areas. Urban wastewater and stormwater act as transport pathways for pollutants from urban areas to receiving waters. Microplastics are a pollution problem of growing concern. As part of the zero-pollution action plan for 2050, the European Commission has set the target to reduce emissions of microplastics to the environment by 30% from 2016 to 2030. The majority of the microplastics originate from sources on land, and urban areas are viewed as particular hotspots. More knowledge is needed on the sources and pathways of microplastics within the urban area, such as to and from urban water systems. To be able to reduce microplastics pollution, there is also a need to understand where control measures can be introduced and make an impact in terms of reduced loads to the environment. For control measures to be implemented, there is also a need to understand the incentives and challenges that the actors, who have a responsibility related to the flows, encounter when working with pollution control. The aim of this thesis was to contribute to enhanced understanding of flows of microplastics in urban water systems and how the flows can be controlled, in order to facilitate mitigation actions for these flows. This aim was addressed by identifying and quantifying sources with emissions to urban wastewater and stormwater and pathways from the urban water system, with inspiration from the method substance flow analysis. The estimated sources were also compared to measurements in raw wastewater and stormwater from four different catchments to identify matches and differences. Further, control measures were introduced to the quantified sources and pathways. Municipal officials, who can implement the control measures, were also interviewed about their incentives and challenges when controlling microplastics and other pollutants in the urban water system. The emissions of microplastics to stormwater were estimated to be much higher than those to wastewater. Tyre wear ...
Mitigating Microplastics Pollution in Urban Water Systems : Flow, actors, and control measures
Fältström, Emma (author)
2023-01-01
doi:10.3384/9789180754132
Theses
Electronic Resource
English
DDC:
720
| Wiley | 2021
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