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Wastewater treatment plants are considered to be one of the largest sources of microplastics in the natural environment. The problem of microplastics has been widely studied in many environments. It remains a subject of the growing interest for researchers. By definition, microplastic is plastic that does not exceed 5 mm in size. There are three stages in the study of microplastics in wastewater: sampling, treatment, and the identification of microplastics. This paper aims to review the strategies for sampling microplastics in wastewater treatment plants and their laboratory treatment to isolate microplastics. The collection of samples from the wastewater treatment plant is based on two mechanisms, namely a continuous filtering and pumping system and instantaneous sampling (steel bucket, glass jar, telescopic sampling). The removal of organic and inorganic matter is carried out with the use of physical and chemical analyses. The subject of this article is the compilation of the generally available research methods on microplastics. Based on the literature analysis, conclusions were drawn regarding the recommended methods of microplastic detection.

In regard to wastewater discharge conditions, nutrient removal is not required for plants of capacities of up to 10,000 resident equivalents according to the current interpretation of legal regulations. European Commission objects to this interpretation and indicates that the above mentioned regulations should refer to agglomeration size rather than to plant capacity. This may result in necessity of urgent modernization of such plants in order to adapt their technologies to the nitrogen and phosphate removal. In the near future this problem may concern several hundred of small and medium size plants in Poland. The article presents the course and the results of the research aimed at design assumption verification for modernization of an example wastewater treatment plant. Computer simulation used during the research allowed both verifying the design assumptions and setting optimal values of plant operating parameters. In addition, the capability to achieve the assumed technological effects for the plant in line with the new interpretation of legal regulations was proved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]