MICROPLASTICS OCCURRENCE, CHARACTERIZATION, AND REMOVAL IN FULL-SCALE COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW-CONSTRUCTED WETLAND SYSTEMS UPSTREAM CENTRALIZED WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS

bodies, releasing significant amounts of conventional pollutants, pathogens, heavy metals and emerging microcontaminants, such as microplastics (MPs), which are a key environmental concern due to their potential impact on aquatic ecosystems. Although there is no single effective solution, one of the most promising strategies to reduce the environmental pressure of CSOs can be found in Constructed Wetlands (CWs). In this context, the present study aims to quantify and characterize the MPs detected in inlet and outlet water samples and to investigate the effectiveness of MPs removal from wastewater by two CSO-CW systems upstream the centralized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in Merone and Carimate (Como province, Italy) respectively.