Analysis of the potential for emission of microplastics by textile laundries in Goiânia and potential potential

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles with dimensions below 5 mm, with significant potential to adsorb and transport Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) to the aquatic environment, where they can be ingested by organisms, and therefore inserted into the food chain. There are many sources of MPs, such as the plastic pellet industries, the fragmentation of macroplastics and synthetic fibers from washing clothes. Industrial laundries have a high potential to emit plastic fibers into the aquatic environment through the effluent because during the process of washing textile articles, there is the detachment of synthetic fibers due to the friction exerted inside the washing machine. So far, there is no scientific work that estimates the contribution of synthetic fibers released by industrial textile laundries at the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) of Goiânia. Based on this context, the purpose of the present work was to quantify the concentration of synthetic fibers, classified as microplastics, emitted by industrial laundries in the public sewage treatment system of the capital, as well as their respective risks to human health and the environment. The methodology used was based on the survey and analysis of information contained in the environmental licensing processes of the industrial textile laundries with the Municipal Environment Agency (AMMA) of Goiânia. In addition, in-depth research was conducted in studies published in technical and scientific literature on the topic of microplastics, the amount of fibers received and discarded in STP and their possible impacts. Only 37 laundries were identified through data collection at AMMA, of which 14 had their physical licensing processes analyzed and 11 informed the flow. It was observed that from 26.4 to 52.9 billion fibers may be contained in the total gross effluent received daily by the Goiânia’s STP, of which from 120 to 172 million come from the 11 laundries analyzed, representing 0.23% to 0.65% of the fibers present in the gross effluent received by the Goiânia’s STP. Microplastics can have adverse effects on both soil and biota. Some studies have shown the influence of MPs in the growth rate, reproductive system and gastrointestinal system of some organisms. MPs were even found in human stools. Through this work, it was possible to present an estimate of the percentage of MPs contained in the raw and treated effluent and in the sludge of the STP of Goiânia. As well as in the industrial laundry effluent, although it was probably underestimated.