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Response mechanisms of enhanced biological phosphorus removal systems to microplastics stress
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Tiny plastic particles found in wastewater treatment plants actually help remove phosphorus (a pollutant that causes algae blooms) more effectively, but they make the plants worse at removing nitrogen. More concerning, the study found that harmful bacteria and antibiotic-resistant genes tend to stick to the surface of these microplastics, suggesting they could act as rafts that carry drug-resistant germs through our water systems and potentially back into the environment we live in.
Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) systems play a vital role in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for controlling phosphorus discharge into urban water bodies and mitigating eutrophication risks. The accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in WWTPs has raised concerns about their potential impact on EBPR performance. This study investigated the effects of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) MPs on EBPR functionality and associated microbial communities. The results demonstrate that MPs enhance EBPR stability and significantly improve phosphorus removal efficiency while simultaneously inhibiting nitrogen removal. Microbial community analysis and functional gene profiling revealed that MP-exposed groups exhibited higher ratios of polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) to glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs) and reduced denitrification gene abundance, which collectively explain the observed enhancement in EBPR stability and decline in nitrogen removal. Furthermore, Candidatus Accumulibacter vicinus was identified as the dominant lineage in the EBPR system, challenging the conventional focus on Ca. Accumulibacter phosphatis. Notably, pathogens were enriched in free-living activated sludge (AS), whereas antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) accumulated on microplastic surfaces. This study elucidates the response mechanisms and potential ecological risks of EBPR systems under microplastic stress.
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Effect mechanism of polyethylene nanoplastics on biological phosphorus removal and microbial extracellular polymers
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Researchers found that polyethylene nanoplastics (PE-NPs) at 0-20 mg/L concentrations reduced biological phosphorus removal efficiency from 96.16% to 83.97% in wastewater treatment systems. Mechanistic analysis revealed that PE-NPs induced oxidative stress, altered extracellular polymeric substance composition, and caused a microbial community shift from phosphorus-accumulating organisms to glycogen-accumulating organisms, decoupling carbon-phosphorus metabolism.
Responses of nitrogen removal, microbial community and antibiotic resistance genes to biodegradable microplastics during biological wastewater treatment
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Researchers compared the effects of three biodegradable microplastics on nitrogen removal and microbial communities in activated sludge wastewater treatment. They found that PHA and PLA at higher concentrations enhanced denitrification but also promoted antibiotic resistance genes, while PBS had minimal effects. The study suggests that the breakdown of biodegradable plastics into microplastics in wastewater systems may have complex and sometimes counterintuitive effects on treatment performance.
Microplastics shaped performance, microbial ecology and community assembly in simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal process
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This study found that polystyrene and PVC microplastics disrupted the performance of wastewater treatment systems designed to remove nitrogen and phosphorus, reducing nitrogen removal by up to 10%. The microplastics altered microbial communities, decreased cooperation between beneficial bacteria, and blocked important biological pathways. Since wastewater treatment is a key barrier against pollution reaching drinking water, microplastic interference with these systems could indirectly increase human exposure to harmful contaminants.
Microplastics in granular sequencing batch reactors: Effects on pollutant removal dynamics and the microbial community
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Researchers investigated how polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics affect pollutant removal in granular sludge wastewater treatment reactors. They found that microplastic type and concentration influenced nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic compound removal rates, with PET particles showing a stronger tendency to accumulate within the biomass. The study indicates that microplastic contamination in wastewater treatment systems may compromise treatment efficiency and alter microbial community dynamics.
(Micro) nanoplastics promote the risk of antibiotic resistance gene propagation in biological phosphorus removal system
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The presence of microplastics and nanoplastics in a biological phosphorus removal system used in wastewater treatment promoted the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes, while also disrupting phosphorus removal efficiency. The study links micro- and nanoplastic contamination of treatment systems to both reduced process performance and increased antimicrobial resistance risk.
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