CHARACTERIZATION OF POLLUTANTS AND MICROPLASTICS IN WASTEWATER FROM ORAL AND DENTAL CARE PRODUCT USE ACTIVITIES (CASE STUDY: TOOTHPASTE)

• Main Author: Gandewa Kartasasmita, Aryaputra
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik saniter dan perkotaan; teknik perlindungan lingkungan
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/75167
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Personal Care and Cosmetic Products (PCCPs) are substances or mixtures used to clean, perfume, change appearance, protect, maintain condition, or eliminate body odor. Common PCCPs like toothpaste are used for tooth cleaning and oral hygiene, contributing significantly to domestic wastewater. The greywater contains residual substances from the rinsing process of toothpaste. This study will focus on the characteristic physic-chemical, microplastics and the specific pollutant load of greywater generated from the usage of toothpaste. The characterization of physicchemical, microplastics and specific pollutant loads are conducted based on artificial greywater which is made from three brands of toothpaste which is diluted in tap water. The greywater from toothpaste use activities has a pH value in the range of 7,45-7,53; total COD in the range 265,55 – 828,44 mg/L; dissolved COD values in the range 249,66 - 699,58 mg/L; total phosphate in the range of 6,82- 22,44 mg/L, the value of NTK in the range 1,4-2,99 mg/L; TSS value in the range of 0-31 mg/L; TDS values in the range of 334,5-570,67 mg/L; and microplastics load values in the range 206-1869 particles/L. The specific pollutant load generated from toothpaste use activities in greywater are 0,94 g Total COD/capita/day; 0,74 g dissolved COD/capita/day; 0,001 g NTK/capita/day; 0,02 g Total phosphate/capita/day; 0,02 g TSS/capita/day; and 0,69 g TDS/capita/day. This study also confirmed the type of microplastic polymers with Beat The Microbead application from two toothpaste brands in the ingredients of the product in the form of Sodium Polyacrylate, PEG 20 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, and PVP. One other toothpaste brand confirmed the type of microplastic polymer in the form of Hostasol PV Fast Light R01 color pigment tested using FT-IR instrument. The results of the microplastic findings that could not be identified by FT-IR were < 700 µm in size and invisible to the eye so that the particles could be suspected to be nanoplastics or other types of plastics that are smaller in size.