AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, is leading the MICROPLAST project, with the participation of Aguas de Valencia and the Universitat de València.
Funded by the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI), this project aims to remove microplastics from both urban and industrial wastewater. It will also develop a standardised methodology to obtain homogeneous data on the presence of these particles in different wastewater sources.
AIMPLAS says the project will respond to growing concern about the existence of plastic particles measuring less than 5 millimetres, known as microplastics, in the environment.
AIMPLAS CHARO PASCUAL
“This concern has given rise to studies on these particles, but different conclusions have been reached and no evidence has been uncovered yet about the risks to human health or the environment,” said Elena Domínguez, Lead Researcher from AIMPLAS.
The goal of the MICROPLAST project is to anticipate legislation on these particles that may be passed in future.
Its objective is first, to develop a standardised methodology to quantify the presence of microplastics in wastewater and sludge at urban treatment plants and in industrial water at recycling pilot plants. This will help shed light on the current situation and make it possible to assess the efficiency of different filtering methods. The second objective is to develop two different technologies for pilot-plant treatment, one using sand and carbon filters, and the other membrane reactors.