Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
201,818 studies31 sourcesUpdated 25 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0PLOS One

Hospital wastewater as a significant source of microplastics in Northern Iran: Abundance, polymer composition, and environmental risk assessment

  • Kosar Kouhi1
  • Atefeh Jabari2
  • Yalda Hashempour3
  1. 1Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
  2. 2Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
  3. 3Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Health Sciences Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Open at sourcePDFDOICite

Abstract

Background: Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous contaminants increasingly detected in aquatic environments and wastewater systems, raising concerns regarding ecosystem and human health. Hospital wastewater has been identified as a source of MPs entering municipal systems; however, data on their occurrence, characteristics, and associated risks remain limited. This study aimed to characterize MP contamination in hospital wastewater and assess the associated environmental and health risks. Methods: Wastewater samples were collected from the influent and effluent of a hospital wastewater treatment plant in northern Iran. MPs were isolated using stainless-steel sieving followed by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) digestion. Abundance, morphology, and size distribution were determined through microscopic examination, and chemical composition was analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The Pollution Load Index (PLI) and Hazard Index (HI) were calculated to evaluate contamination levels and associated risks. Results: The analysis showed mean MP concentrations of 21.13 ± 12.8 particles L-1 in the influent and 1.45 ± 0.89 particles L-1 in the effluent, reflecting a removal efficiency of 93.13%. Morphologically, fibrous particles predominated (92–96%), with black as the most common color and sizes below 250 µm being the most prevalent. Identified polymer compositions included polyamide (PA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyurethane (PU). Based on the calculated indices, the hospital wastewater reached a PLI of 1.86 and an HI of 1416.45, which corresponds to hazard level IV, primarily attributed to the high hazard score of PVC (5001) due to its carcinogenic monomer and additive leaching. Conclusions: Hospital wastewater is a significant source of MPs, particularly hazardous polymers such as PVC and PU. These findings highlight the need for targeted mitigation strategies, including advanced treatment processes and reduced use of toxic polymers in healthcare settings, to minimize MP discharge and protect environmental and public health

Related

  1. Exposure States, Environmental Fate, and Functional Effects of Microplastics in Soil: Bibliometric Mapping and Critical Mechanistic Synthesis
    Yuhe Li, Su Yan, Xinting Lv +4
    PolymersPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textMaterials & polymersEurope PMC
  2. Microplastics as Emerging Contaminants: Pathways, Environmental Persistence, and Human Health Implications
    Jana Rammal, Assi Al Moussawi, Chaden Haidar +4
    MicroplasticsPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full text1 citedEcologyMaterials & polymersHAL
  3. Techno-Economic and Geospatial Assessment of Distributed Fertilizer Production via Wastewater Ammonia Solar Electrochemical Stripping
    Orisa Z. Coombs, Lorenzo Rosa, William A. Tarpeh
    ChemRxivPreprintLicence not statedGeneral chemistryChemRxiv
  4. Assessment of Antioxidant Capacity, Phytochemical Phenolic Composition, Cholinesterase and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities, and Antimicrobial Potential of Tribulus terrestris
    Ashwell R. Ndhlala, Emrah Dikici, Sevgi Altın +3
    Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)Peer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral chemistryEurope PMC
  5. Bio-based cellulose-filled vitrimers for 3D printing via liquid deposition modeling: Rheological tuning and environmental assessment
    Edoardo Albertini, Mirko Busto, Sara Dalle Vacche +3
    Chemical Engineering JournalPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full text2 citedGeneral chemistryHAL

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{kouhi2026hospital,
  title = {{Hospital wastewater as a significant source of microplastics in Northern Iran: Abundance, polymer composition, and environmental risk assessment}},
  author = {Kosar Kouhi and Atefeh Jabari and Yalda Hashempour},
  journal = {PLOS One},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0358340},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358340},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Hospital wastewater as a significant source of microplastics in Northern Iran: Abundance, polymer composition, and environmental risk assessment
AU  - Kosar Kouhi
AU  - Atefeh Jabari
AU  - Yalda Hashempour
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/12
JO  - PLOS One
DO  - 10.1371/journal.pone.0358340
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358340
AB  - Background: Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous contaminants increasingly detected in aquatic environments and wastewater systems, raising concerns regarding ecosystem and human health. Hospital wastewater has been identified as a source of MPs entering municipal systems; however, data on their occurrence, characteristics, and associated risks remain limited. This study aimed to characterize MP contamination in hospital wastewater and assess the associated environmental and health risks. Methods: Wastewater samples were collected from the influent and effluent of a hospital wastewater treatment plant in northern Iran. MPs were isolated using stainless-steel sieving followed by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) digestion. Abundance, morphology, and size distribution were determined through microscopic examination, and chemical composition was analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The Pollution Load Index (PLI) and Hazard Index (HI) were calculated to evaluate contamination levels and associated risks. Results: The analysis showed mean MP concentrations of 21.13 ± 12.8 particles L-1 in the influent and 1.45 ± 0.89 particles L-1 in the effluent, reflecting a removal efficiency of 93.13%. Morphologically, fibrous particles predominated (92–96%), with black as the most common color and sizes below 250 µm being the most prevalent. Identified polymer compositions included polyamide (PA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyurethane (PU). Based on the calculated indices, the hospital wastewater reached a PLI of 1.86 and an HI of 1416.45, which corresponds to hazard level IV, primarily attributed to the high hazard score of PVC (5001) due to its carcinogenic monomer and additive leaching. Conclusions: Hospital wastewater is a significant source of MPs, particularly hazardous polymers such as PVC and PU. These findings highlight the need for targeted mitigation strategies, including advanced treatment processes and reduced use of toxic polymers in healthcare settings, to minimize MP discharge and protect environmental and public health
SN  - 1932-6203
ER  -