Analysis and Quantification of Microplastics and Effect of Catalyst on Sludge

Microplastics are usually smaller size particles of size 5 mm or less, and these particles are not visible to the naked eye. In recent times, microplastics have emerged as a major issue for humans and the environment. The microparticles enter into the food chain and cause various severe effects such as cancer, indigestion, blockages, etc. They are also found in food products such as table salt, seafood, and in drinking water. They are found in sewage in the form of microplastics and microfibers due to the disintegration of larger particles into tiny fragments. To analyze and quantify the microparticles, the sludge sample is collected and stored, and initial characteristics are found. Microplastics can be recovered from sludge samples by various methods such as filtration, wet peroxide oxidation (WPO), oil extraction procedure (OEP), density separation method, drying-based method, and degradation with potassium hydroxide (KOH). The extraction procedure is done by suitable methods to separate the microparticles from sludge, and they are observed under a stereomicroscope by using 4×, 10×, and 40× power. The quantification was done, and it was found that the sample contained 57% microplastics and 43% microfibers in various shapes and colors, and the quantity was nearly 5600 particles of microplastics per kilogram of sludge. A catalyst was synthesized, and the effect of the addition of a catalyst on microplastics for the extraction process was studied. A number of bacteria and fungal species have biodegradation capacity of breaking down few chemicals like polystyrene, polyester, polyurethane, and polyethylene. Such microorganisms can be applied to sewage treatment and other contaminants for better removal of microplastics.