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Microfibres and Microfragments in Sewage Sludge
Summary
This review paper looked at over 150 studies to understand how tiny plastic bits called microplastics build up in sewage sludge, the leftover solid material from treating wastewater, which is often used as fertilizer on farms. The main takeaway is that scientists still don't have a standard way to measure these microplastics, making it hard to know exactly how much ends up in our soil, crops, and eventually our food supply. This matters because if sludge is regularly spread on farmland without consistent testing methods, we may be unknowingly introducing plastic particles into the food chain without a clear picture of the risk.
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.