Microplastic abundance and removal in the Gatineau wastewater treatment facility

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Microplastics (defined as any plastic particle <5mm) are a growing problem in freshwater systems acrossCanada and include plastic fibres from clothing, the breakdown of larger plastic fragments, and microbeadsfound in cosmetics and personal care items. Microplastics have recently been found in the Ottawa River but wedon't know the main pathways that plastics are getting into the river. The goals of this study are to determinethe amount and types of microplastics that are entering the City of Gatineau's wastewater treatment plant and toassess how much of this microplastic is removed through the water treatment process and how much is makingit into the river. By sampling wastewater and sludge throughout the treatment process and analyzing thesesamples for the amounts and types of plastic we will be able to determine how much and what types ofmicroplastics the wastewater treatment plant is effectively removing. This project will help the wastewaterplant better manage the microplastic coming through the systems and help wastewater treatment plants acrossCanada better understand the sources of microplastics and where they are removed during the wastewatertreatment process. This information is important to help keep plastic pollution out of our freshwaterecosystems.