Table 1.
Full research article selected.
| Study | WWTPs Location | Sampling Date | WWTP Treatment | Range Size Particles | Spectroscopy Analyses | Types of Polymers | Total Removal Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [27] | Mersin Bay, Turkey | 2017 | Primary and secondary treatment (Tarsus and Silifke), Tertiary treatment (Karaduvar) | <500 μm, 500–1000 μm, 1000–2000 μm, 2000–3000 μm |
FTIR | PE, PP, PS, ACRYLIC FIBER, CELLULOSE ACETATE | 58% |
| [28] | Region of Murcia, Spain | February 2018–July 2019 | Primary and secondary treatment | <1 mm, 1–5 mm |
FTIR | LDPE, NYL, PV, MUF, HDPE, AC, PP, PS, MCR, EPM, BPL, PEST, PTFE, PIB | 76.5% |
| [8] | Cartagena, Spain | September 2016–April 2018 | Primary and secondary treatment | 400–600 μm | FTIR | LDPE, HDPE, AC, PP, PEP, PS, BPL, NYL, PUR, PET, MCR, PTFE, MMF, PES, PVI, PIB, RBB | 90.3% |
| [4] | Charleston, South Carolina, USA | June 2016, October 2016, January 2017, April 2017, July 2017 | Primary and secondary treatment | 60–178 μm, 178–418 μm, >418 μm |
FTIR | Not specify | 89.4% |
| [5] | Madrid, Spain | Spring 2019 | Primary and secondary treatment | 25–104 μm, 104–375 μm, >375 μm <5 mm |
μFTIR | PE, PP, PET, CELLOPHANE, ACRYLIC FIBER, PMMA, PCL, PU, PS | 93.7% |
| [29] | Vancouver, Canada | September and October 2016 | Primary and secondary treatment | <500 μm, >500 μm |
ATR-FTIR | PEST, PA, PS, PP, NYLON | 98.3% |
| [30] | Wuhan, China | Not specified | Primary and secondary treatment | 0.02–4 mm | μRaman | PA, PP, PE, PVC, PC, ACRYLONITRILE BUTADIENE STYRENE, POLYVINYL ACETATE | 64.4% |
| [31] | Hvidovre, Denmark | June 2018 | Primary and secondary treatment | 29.1–80.3 μm | μFTIR | PE, PP, PVC, PS, ACRYLIC, PA, EPOXY, PU | 78.5% |
| [32] | Northern Italy | Not specified (three days of sampling) | Primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment | 0.01–0.1 mm, 0.1–0.5 mm, 0.5–1 mm, 1–5 mm |
μFTIR | PE, EPM, PEST, PU, PA, PP, PAC, ACRYLONITRILE BUTADIENE COPOLYMER | 84% |
| [33] | Lower Saxony, Germany | 22–29 April 2014 | Primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment | >500 μm, <500 μm |
μFTIR | PEST, PE, PP, PVAL, PA, PS | 97% |
| [17] | Glasgow, Scotland | Not specified | Primary and secondary treatment | 0.598–1.618 mm | FTIR | PEST, PU, PA, PP, PE, PET, PS, ALKYDS, ACRYLIC, PSA | 98.4% |
| [34] | South Korea | September 5th November 1st | Primary and secondary treatment | 45 μm–5 mm | FTIR | PP, PE, PET, PS, PA, PU, ACRYLIC, POLYETHER | 98.7–99.9% |
| [35] | Wujin District, Changzhou, China | March 2019 | Primary and secondary treatment | <100 μm, 100–200 μm, 200–500 μm, 1000–2000 μm, 2000–5000 μm |
μRaman | PE, PP, PS, PVC, PET, PA | 35–98% |
| [36] | Changzhou, China | July 2018 | Primary and secondary treatment | 0.1–0.5 mm, 0.5–1 mm, 1–5 mm |
ATR-FTIR | RAYON, PET, PP, PE, PS, PE-PP | 90% |
| [37] | Chaoyang district, Beijing, China | April–June 2018 | Primary and secondary treatment | 152.7–1973.67 μm | μFTIR | PET, PF, PES, PP, PE | 95% |
AC: acrylate; BPL: biopolymer; EPM: poly (ethylene:propylene); HDPE: high density polyethylene; LDPE: low density polyethylene; MCR: methacrylate; MMF or MUF: melamine; NYL: nylon; PA: polyamide; PC: polycarbonate; PE: polyethylene; PF: phenol-formaldehyde resin; PP: polypropylene; PS: polystyrene; PU or PUR: polyurethane; PV or PVI: polyvinyl; PCL: polycaprolactone; PEP: polyehtylene propylene); PES or PEST: polyester; PET: polyethylene terephthalate; PIB: polyisobutylene; PVC: polyvinylchloride; PMMA: polymethylmethacrylate; PTFE: teflon; PVAL: polyvinylalcohol; RBB: rubber.