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Emerging organic contaminants in sewage sludge: Current status, technological challenges and regulatory perspectives
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This review examines how sewage sludge accumulates harmful organic pollutants including microplastics, hormone-disrupting chemicals, and pharmaceutical residues that threaten the environment and human health. Current treatment methods struggle to fully break down these contaminants, and the byproducts of treatment may carry their own ecological risks, highlighting the need for better technology and stronger regulations.
Sewage sludge is the source and sink of pollutants. It accumulates a large number of organic contaminants such as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), persistent organic pollutants (POPs), microplastics (MPs) and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), thus posing threats to the ecological environment and human health. The harmlessness of sludge provides the possibility to realize the recycling of resources. In this study, the VOSviewer software is used to visualize published papers related to organic contaminants in sewage sludge. The sources and hazards of emerging pollutants in sewage sludge are outlined, as well as the current state of research on composting, hydrothermal treatment, electrochemical technology, and advanced oxidation processes applied to this area. Key challenges facing this field include the low mineralization rate of contaminants, the ecological risks posed by degradation products, reasonableness of regulations, and effectiveness of enforcement. In conclusion, the integration of existing removal technologies, exploration of degradation pathways, and toxicity assessment of degradation products are the key to achieving the harmlessness and resource utilization of sewage sludge. Additionally, it is also necessary to strengthen the international consensus on the prevention and control of emerging organic contaminants in sewage sludge, improve regulatory frameworks, enhance law enforcement, and implement comprehensive management strategies.
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Researchers reviewed the presence of emerging pollutants, including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals, in sewage sludge that is commonly applied to agricultural land. They found that current analytical methods are improving but still face challenges in detecting these contaminants at low concentrations in complex sludge samples. The study highlights the environmental risks of spreading pollutant-laden sludge on farmland and calls for better monitoring standards.
Emerging contaminants in biosolids: Presence, fate and analytical techniques
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Researchers reviewed how "emerging contaminants" — including pharmaceuticals, PFAS (forever chemicals), flame retardants, and microplastics — behave in sewage sludge (biosolids) and wastewater treatment plants, and how they can transform into potentially more toxic breakdown products. The review evaluated detection methods and called for better regulation and advanced analytical tools to track these pollutants as they move through water treatment systems and into the environment.
Emerging pollutants in waste water: Challenges and advancements in treatment technology
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This review examines the challenges of removing emerging pollutants like microplastics, PFAS, and pharmaceutical residues from wastewater using conventional treatment methods. Researchers found that traditional approaches such as activated sludge and coagulation are often insufficient, while advanced oxidation processes, adsorption-based methods, and novel biological treatments show more promise. The study emphasizes the need for sustainable, energy-efficient solutions and stronger regulatory frameworks to protect water resources.
Remediation of Emerging Pollutants by Using Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatments
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This review examines advanced biological methods for removing emerging pollutants from wastewater, including pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, and microplastics. Biological treatment approaches offer sustainable and effective alternatives to conventional treatment for this increasingly complex mix of contaminants.
Land application of sewage sludge as a pathway for emerging contaminants: a comparative review of microplastics, PFAS, and pharmaceuticals.
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This review summarizes existing research on three contaminants found in sewage sludge spread on farmland: microplastics, PFAS chemicals, and pharmaceutical residues. It compares how each behaves in soil, finding they differ in persistence and mobility, and concludes that current treatment methods and regulations do not fully address these differences.
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