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Microplastics in urban catchments: Review of sources, pathways, and entry into stormwater
Luleå University of Technology, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Architecture and Water.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4732-7348
Luleå University of Technology, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Architecture and Water.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5548-4397
Luleå University of Technology, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Architecture and Water.ORCID iD: 0009-0003-3330-684X
Luleå University of Technology, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Architecture and Water.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9938-8217
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2023 (English)In: Science of the Total Environment, ISSN 0048-9697, E-ISSN 1879-1026, Vol. 858, article id 159781Article, review/survey (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Urban areas play a key role in the production of microplastics (MPs) and their entry into water bodies. This article reviews the literature on the sources, transport, and control of MPs in urban environments with the aim of clarifying the mechanisms underlying these processes. Major MP sources include atmospheric deposition, micro-litter, and tire and road wear particles (TRWPs). MPs deposited from the atmosphere are mostly fibers and may be particularly important in catchments without traffic. Littering and attrition of textiles and plastic products is another important MP source. However, the quantities of MPs originating from this source may be hard to estimate. TRWPs are a significant source of MPs in urban areas and are arguably the best quantified source. The mobilization of MPs in urban catchments is poorly understood but it appears that dry unconsolidated sediments and MP deposits are most readily mobilized. Sequestration of MPs occurs in green areas and is poorly understood. Consequently, some authors consider green/pervious parts of urban catchments to be MP sinks. Field studies have shown that appreciable MP removal occurs in stormwater quality control facilities. Street cleaning and snow removal also remove MPs (particularly TRWPs), but the efficacy of these measures is unknown. Among stormwater management facilities, biofiltration/retention units seem to remove MPs more effectively than facilities relying on stormwater settling. However, knowledge of MP removal in stormwater facilities remains incomplete. Finally, although 13 research papers reported MP concentrations in stormwater, the total number of field samples examined in these studies was only 189. Moreover, the results of these studies are not necessarily comparable because they are based on relatively small numbers of samples and differ widely in terms of their objectives, sites, analytical methods, size fractions, examined polymers, and even terminology. This area of research can thus be considered “data-poor” and offers great opportunities for further research in many areas.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2023. Vol. 858, article id 159781
Keywords [en]
Micro litter, Microplastics, Snowmelt quality, Stormwater quality, Urban diffuse pollution, Urban runoff
National Category
Water Engineering Environmental Sciences
Research subject
Urban Water Engineering; Centre - Centre for Stormwater Management (DRIZZLE)
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-93841DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159781ISI: 000897483700005PubMedID: 36309285Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85140888594OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-93841DiVA, id: diva2:1709027
Funder
Vinnova, 2016-05176 DRIZZLESwedish Environmental Protection Agency, 208-0182-18Swedish Water
Note

Validerad;2022;Nivå 2;2022-11-07 (hanlid)

Available from: 2022-11-07 Created: 2022-11-07 Last updated: 2025-03-12Bibliographically approved

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Österlund, HeléneBlecken, GodeckeLange, KatharinaMarsalek, JiriGopinath, KalpanaViklander, Maria

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