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Microfibres and Microfragments in Sewage Sludge
Summary
Wastewater treatment plants concentrate tiny plastic bits called microplastics (mostly tiny fibers and fragments) into leftover sludge, which is often spread on farm fields as fertilizer, meaning these plastics can end up in our soil and potentially our food. This review pulls together over 150 studies to show that scientists still lack standardized ways to measure these microplastics, making it hard to know exactly how much contamination is happening or how risky it truly is. The findings highlight the need for consistent testing methods so we can better understand, and eventually reduce, human exposure to plastics through the food chain.
Wastewater sludge contains high concentrations of microplastics (MPs), which may pose environmental risks when sludge is applied to agricultural soils. This review examines recent advances in the characterization and quantification of MPs in sewage sludge, with a particular focus on microfragments and microfibres. A total of 153 references were analyzed, 107 of which were published after 2020. The review highlights the lack of standardized methods, which limits data comparability among sludge. Microfragments and microfibres are the predominant MP morphologies in sewage sludge, while polyethene and polypropylene are the most frequently detected polymers. Sludge matrices require pre-treatment to remove organic matter, and the most used method is peroxidation. Density separation is widely used to isolate MPs, although it may leave particles uncharacterized in residual solids. Finally, the most commonly used techniques for identifying MPs are FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. This review also considers emergent artificial intelligence-based technologies that deliver reliable results with reduced analysis time compared to traditional techniques.