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Wastewater Treatment Facilities as Underappreciated Point Sources for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Microplastics: A Critical Perspective
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Researchers argued that wastewater treatment plants are underappreciated co-concentrators of PFAS and microplastics, reviewing how these contaminants interact during treatment, partition across effluent and biosolids, and potentially re-enter drinking water sources — and identifying forced air-water partitioning as a promising but underexplored separation strategy.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and microplastics (MPs) represent two classes of contaminants that are prevalent in the environment and pose significant health risks to micro- and macrobiota and to ecological systems. For example, emissions of PFAS and MPs into the environment range from thousands (PFAS) to millions (MPs) of tonnes per year. There are many studies probing the fate and transport of these “forever” chemicals in natural and engineered aquatic systems, as well as studies investigating mechanisms of PFAS interactions with MPs in water. However, there is limited information regarding PFAS–MP behavior within wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Wastewater treatment may be an important nexus for PFAS and MPs to be introduced into environmental waters and drinking water sources, given that the Environmental Protection Agency has identified that WWTPs can act as important, centralized vessels for PFAS loads and discharge. WWTPs similarly collect thousands of MPs from laundry, household products (e.g., plastic containers), and personal care products (e.g., microbead exfoliators). In this critical perspective, we highlight (i) properties of PFAS and MPs that drive their interactions in water; (ii) transport and distribution of PFAS, MPs, and PFAS-associated MPs during wastewater treatment; and (iii) opportunities for the separation of PFAS and MPs via forced air–water partitioning in engineered treatments. We end the perspective with insights into future research directions and overlooked complications in characterizing PFAS and MP transport and treatment within WWTPs.
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Microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in landfill-wastewater treatment systems: A field study
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Researchers measured both microplastics and PFAS chemicals in four landfill-wastewater treatment systems in Illinois and found that treatment plants reduced concentrations of both contaminants in discharged water. However, both microplastics and PFAS accumulated heavily in biosolids, which may reintroduce these pollutants into the environment when biosolids are used as fertilizer or sent back to landfills.
Challenges and Fate of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Processes
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This review examines the challenges microplastics (MPs) pose within wastewater treatment processes (WWTPs), noting that WWTPs can act as both sinks and secondary sources of MP contamination in water bodies. The authors survey various treatment approaches and their effectiveness in capturing MPs before effluent discharge.
Where do they go? A review of the wastewater treatment process and its impact on the fate of microplastics
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This review examines the fate of microplastics across the physical, chemical, and biological stages of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) processes, finding that WWTPs act as both sources and destinations for microplastics while not being designed to remove them, and surveying new removal strategies.
Occurrence of microplastics in the effluent of wastewater treatment plants : growing threat to the environment?
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This review examines studies on microplastic occurrence in wastewater treatment plant effluents, synthesizing evidence that treatment plants both retain and release significant quantities of microplastics and are a major pathway for plastic particles entering aquatic environments.
Unveiling the Truth of Interactions between Microplastics and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Microplastics as a Carrier of PFASs and Beyond
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Researchers discovered that microplastics in wastewater treatment plants act as carriers for PFAS (forever chemicals), absorbing them from the water and potentially releasing them back into the environment. Commercial plastics were found to leach even more PFAS than environmental samples, with some chemicals releasing more than was originally absorbed. This dual role of microplastics as both carriers and sources of forever chemicals means they could significantly increase human exposure to these persistent, harmful substances.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.