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Effects of Microplastics Type, Particle Size, and Concentration on the Anaerobic Digestion of Food Waste and Residual Sludge: Methane Yield, Organic Matter Degradation
Summary
Researchers co-digested food waste and residual sludge in the presence of polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC microplastics of varying sizes and concentrations, finding that smaller particles and higher doses increasingly inhibited methane production — with 3 µm PVC at 100 particles/g-TS cutting cumulative methane by 54.6% and halting output entirely by day 17.
This study evaluated three typical microplastics on methane production process during the co-anaerobic digestion of food waste and residual sludge. The results indicated that MPs generally inhibited methane production, with the inhibition intensity increasing as the particle size decreased and concentration increased. The group with 3μm PE showed a cumulative decrease in methane production, with a peak daily methane production decrease of 38.96%. PVC exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect, with the 3μm PVC group at 100 particles/g-TS showing a cumulative methane production decrease of up to 54.6%, and methane production ceased by day 17. Microplastics disrupted the hydrolysis–acidification stage and caused VFA accumulation.