Have Stray Gel Beads Ever Damaged Wastewater Treatment Systems?

Stray gel beads in wastewater have become an emerging concern in recent years. These small plastic microbeads are commonly used as exfoliants in personal care products like facial scrubs and toothpaste. As consumers wash these products down the drain, many wastewater treatment plants are not equipped to filter out the tiny plastic particles, allowing them to be released into the environment. But can these stray gel beads actually damage wastewater infrastructure? Let’s take a closer look at the issue.

In recent years, the tiny plastic microplastics known as microbeads have come under scrutiny for their environmental impacts. Used as exfoliants in personal care items like face washes and toothpastes, these little plastic scrubbers are rinsed down the drain by the billions each year in the United States alone. Wastewater treatment plants are put to the test trying to remove these tiny plastics before they reach waterways. But amidst concerns over microbead pollution, an important question arises – could the accumulation of gel microbeads in sewage systems also be damaging the wastewater treatment process itself?

While the miniscule plastic beads have been connected to environmental issues like harming marine life when they bypass treatment, their direct impacts on wastewater infrastructure remains less studied. However, some instances of gel bead accumulation have raised alarms about potential risks to equipment. With governments banning microbeads in certain products, and consumers turning towards more eco-friendly options, there are also questions about how to manage any existing microbead pollution in wastewater systems.

Evaluating the scale of microbead accumulation, emerging removal techniques, and proper disposal methods can help provide insight into how facilities can address stray bead issues. As with many aspects of wastewater management, finding the right solutions requires balancing effectiveness, cost-feasibility and environmental impacts.

Can Gel Beads Physically Damage Wastewater Treatment Equipment?

One of the biggest concerns regarding microbead accumulation in sewer systems is whether they could clog or impair pipes and filtration gear. Their tiny size makes beads easy to pass through preliminary filtering stages at most municipal wastewater plants. This means they tend to accumulate, creating buildups that could potentially lead to blockages.

Have Any Wastewater Systems Reported Clogging from Beads?

While still limited, there have been some reports of microbead accumulation creating damage to equipment:

• In 2018, a wastewater facility in California found microbeads clogging intake pumps and pipes. This led to backups that required several days of cleanup to clear.
• A 2019 Canadian study detected microbead accumulation in sewer lines, raising concerns over potential pipe blockages.
• Researchers in the UK investigating microplastics in wastewater reported finding clumps of beads clogging screens and filters at multiple facilities.

So while not extremely widespread yet, microbead buildup has caused functionality issues for some wastewater systems. The range of equipment affected, from intake pumps to clarifier screens, also shows how beads could impair multiple stages of the treatment process if accumulation becomes excessive.

How Do Beads Compare to Other Materials Causing Clogs?

Microbeads present some unique concerns compared to more common clog-causing materials like fats, wipes and tree roots:

• Size: Beads measure less than 5mm, making them small enough to bypass preliminary filters. Other materials tend to be captured sooner.
• Shape: The spherical shape of beads allows them to compact tightly, increasing clogging potential. Irregular shapes like roots tend to cause less dense blockages.
• Composition: Plastics can harden when compacted, while fats remain more malleable. This can make beads more difficult to dislodge once accumulated.

So while the scale of impact is still uncertain, the size, shape and material properties of beads could make them especially problematic clogging agents if buildup occurs. Careful monitoring and maintenance is key to prevent excessive accumulation.

How Do Wastewater Treatment Methods Affect Gel Bead Removal?

A core factor in microbead accumulation and removal is the type of treatment process used at a wastewater facility:

Primary Treatment

Most systems use physical screening and sedimentation tanks in initial primary treatment. These methods target larger debris and solids, but are limited in trapping tiny plastic beads:

• Screening: Screens with openings of 6mm or larger allow beads to pass through. Even fine screens (2mm openings) only capture a portion of beads.
• Sedimentation: Many beads have the same density as water, preventing settling in primary tanks.

Primary treatment alone allows over 90% of microbeads to pass into secondary processing, leading to potential buildup downstream.

Secondary Treatment

Secondary treatment methods, like biological filters and clarifiers, are also not optimized to catch microbeads:

• Biological filters: These use microbes to digest organic compounds, but do not effectively trap plastics. Beads tend to cover the film on filters instead of becoming enmeshed.
• Clarifiers: Clarification tanks are designed to settle solids via gravity. But the neutral buoyancy of beads allows many to evade settling and pass through to disinfection.

While vital processes for removing other pollutants, standard secondary treatment procedures have limitations for microbead capture. This enables accumulation that could impair function over time.

Tertiary Treatment

More advanced tertiary treatment using tight microfiltration, carbon filters or chemical flocculation improves microbead removal:

• Microfiltration: Filters with sub-micron pores (0.1-1μm) can trap over 95% of microbeads but have high installation and maintenance costs.
• Adsorption: Activated carbon filters help adsorb some microbeads, but capacity is limited. Beads also displace adsorption sites for other compounds.
• Chemical treatment: Adding compounds like ferric chloride causes particulate flocculation which can improve bead settlement. But chemical costs can be prohibitive.

While able to improve removal, advanced tertiary options have feasibility constraints that may limit widespread adoption. Better solutions for existing infrastructure are still needed.

How Are Wastewater Plants Trying to Address Gel Bead Accumulation?

Facing the realities of microbeads in sewage, some facilities are piloting new approaches to boost plastic removal without requiring major upgrades:

Installation of Fine Screens

One simple method being tested is placing screens with smaller mesh openings (~1mm) in the preliminary treatment stage. These microscreens catch beads more effectively while allowing wastewater to pass.

• A 2018 study in Sweden found installing a 350 micron screen improved microbead capture rates to 75% from 10% with standard 2mm screens.
• Screens can be installed on existing primary treatment tanks as a retrofit, providing bead removal without replacing core infrastructure.
• Maintenance is required to prevent clogging, but automated cleaning systems help reduce labor costs.

Though limited in total removal ability, fine screens provide enhanced microbead capture using relatively simple retrofits.

Using Coagulants and Flocculants

Adding compounds like ferric salts to wastewater causes particulate coagulation and flocculation which can help pull microbeads and other suspended solids from the water column for easier removal in clarifiers and filters:

• One UK facility added ferric sulfate to increase microbead removal through clarification from 13% to over 96% in testing.
• Flocculants introduce an additional chemical cost, but can work with standard treatment gears instead of requiring new installations.
• Using polymers specifically designed for plastics may further boost interactions with microbeads to aid settlement.

Chemical amendments provide a lower-cost route to improve microbead capture rates by tailoring existing treatment processes.

Collaboration with Product Manufacturers

Rather than relying solely on retrofitting infrastructure, some facilities aim to tackle the problem at the source by collaborating with personal care companies:

• Working with manufacturers helps identify top microbead contributors and target major products still using beads.
• Companies can volunteer or be nudged to phase out plastic scrubbers in their face wash or toothpaste formulations.
• This proactive approach cuts down on new bead inputs instead of just trying to improve removal rates.

Engaging the private sector provides an important avenue to reduce microbead pollution and accumulation issues in a more fundamental way.

What Can Consumers Do To Help Mitigate Wastewater Impacts?

While facilities pilot new treatment methods, consumer awareness and involvement is critical for reducing stray gel beads at the source:

Avoid Products Containing Plastic Microbeads

• Scan ingredient lists carefully and avoid buying personal care items listing polyethylene or polypropylene.
• Seek out beads-free face washes, toothpastes and other products. Look for scrubbing ingredients like jojoba beads.
• Consult mobile apps like Beat the Microbead to identify microplastic-free alternatives.

Making careful purchases pushes retailers and companies to provide sustainable options to meet demand.

Dispose of Existing Products Responsibly

• For products containing beads, refrain from washing down drains. Opt to wipe off or collect and place in trash instead.
• Safely containing beads prevents bypassing wastewater treatment and further environmental release.
• Be sure to abide by any disposal or recycling instructions on product labels as well.

Proper disposal reduces loading on infrastructure and ecosystems until more sustainable alternatives become widely available.

Support Public Education Campaigns

• Advocating for consumer and school outreach promotes responsible purchasing and recycling habits in communities.
• Backing awareness initiatives helps spread understanding of microbead impacts and safer disposal tactics.

Broadening public knowledge provides a multiplier effect on voluntary actions that can drive positive change.

What Does The Future Hold For Gel Beads in Wastewater?

While stray gel bead accumulation has impacted some facilities, the scale and risks of clogging issues across wastewater infrastructure remains uncertain. But concerns over environmental harms are already driving reductions in microbead usage and releases.

Projected Declines in Microbead Pollution

• Laws banning plastic microbeads in cosmetics, like the US Microbead-Free Waters Act, help curb further accumulation in sewage.
• Industry commitments to phase out microbeads, as well as consumer pressure, also contribute to projected reductions in wastewater bead inputs.
• Modeling suggests microbead pollution could decrease by over 80% in the US by 2035 through policy and voluntary actions.

These measures should help minimize loading on wastewater systems and risks of equipment impairment. But legacy microbead pollution could still pose challenges.

Continued Research into Removal Methods

• Even with lower inputs, facilities will likely continue wrestling with residual microbead contamination for years to come.
• Ongoing monitoring will reveal if risks of clogging rise along with accumulation, informing maintenance plans.
• Researchers continue working to refine and identify optimal, cost-effective new treatment technologies tailored to microbeads.

Vigilance and advances in capture methods help prepare wastewater systems for managing lasting microbead impacts.

Focus on Overall Plastic and Microplastic Pollution

• While microbeads may decline, broader plastic waste and microplastic issues continue growing.
• Clothing fibers, microfragments and other tiny plastics passing through treatment could emerge as larger concerns.
• A holistic strategy tackling plastic waste and pollution across material streams is key to creating sustainable systems.

The microbead focus represents just one facet of the larger goal to drastically curb plastic releases and achieve closed-loop economies.

Conclusion

The accumulation of stray gel microbeads in wastewater systems has led to some instances of clogged pumps and impaired equipment function. But many questions remain about the scale of damage directly attributable to microbeads alone. Ongoing research and monitoring is important to clarify risks and ideal responses.

In the meantime, collaborative initiatives between facilities, manufacturers and consumers help mitigate potential issues by reducing microbead pollution at the source. While microbeads present a symptom of broader plastics problems, targeted actions on multiple fronts can help wastewater treatment infrastructure better manage strains from this one contribution to a much larger challenge.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do plastic microbeads last in wastewater systems?

Microbeads can persist for long periods once entering wastewater infrastructure. Studies have detected beads accumulating for over a year in sewer systems with limited degradation. Their durable polymer composition resists breakdown from sewage, bacteria, or other biota in treatment plants as well. More research is still needed on microbead degradation rates.

Can microbeads damage wastewater treatment processes besides clogging?

While the biggest risk appears to be physical clogging, some studies suggest microbeads could impair treatment efficiency in other ways. For example, beads may interfere with biological digestion processes or displace surface area on activated carbon filters. But more data is required to determine if these impacts rise to significant levels.

Are microbeads found in wastewater in other countries besides the US?

Yes, microbead accumulation has been documented globally from the EU to Asia to Australia. Their use in personal care products internationally has contributed to pollution issues in sewage and waterways around the world. Some countries have already implemented partial or full microbead bans similar to the US.

How do microbeads compare to microfibers from clothing in wastewater volumes?

Microfibers from synthetic textiles are estimated to enter wastewater in vastly larger quantities overall compared to microbeads. One study found microfiber numbers from laundry over 700 times higher than microbeads in effluent samples. So while both microplastics, microfibers appear to be a far greater volume concern for wastewater systems.

Can wastewater treatment processes be improved to fully remove microplastics?

Upgrading all plants with advanced filtration systems could theoretically achieve high removal rates. But the costs would likely be prohibitive, especially for smaller facilities. A better solution is likely preventing microplastics from entering wastewater altogether through improved product design, disposal habits, and textile manufacturing practices.