Week eight: Filtration!

 Happy late Thursday and midterm semester!!

    Last Friday, my research group and I were able to conduct the filtration process on the collected wastewater treatment samples. As mentioned in my previous blog post, the filtration process involves a suction vacuum with apparatus consisting of only glassware and metal (to prevent the introduction of plastic not yielded from the wastewater- aka cross-contamination.) The wastewater is poured through a glass filter paper to collect any microplastics residing in the sample. 

    My wastewater was retrieved from the fourth stage of the treatment process. Stage four consists of the clarifier; the clarifier sinks dense materials (potentially microplastics- depending on diameter and configuration) to the bottom, leaving debris and materials out of the water. In stage four, the sludge that settles at the bottom contains debris and (presumably) bacteria forms utilized in stages 2 and 3. In stage two, anaerobic bacteria (such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa) are implemented to convert ammonia (NH3+) into nitrate and nitrite (N03- NO2-). In stage three, oxygen is removed, forcing bacteria like P. aeruginosa to take the oxygen from available sources- converting the nitrates and nitrites into nitrogen (N2) gas. 

Below is a photo of me enjoying the process! :)