We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Fate of microplastics in urban wastewater treatment plants and their contribution to the receiving river via effluent discharge
AI summary Read the abstract
Monitoring of five wastewater treatment plants in Guangzhou, China found 97–99% microplastic removal efficiency, yet effluents still discharged up to 4.5 billion microplastic particles per day into receiving rivers, while removed particles concentrated in sludge applied to agricultural land. This dual pathway — aquatic discharge and land application of sludge — makes wastewater treatment plants a major conduit for microplastics entering both freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.
Effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are recognized as an important source for microplastic (MP) pollution in the receiving waters. The removal efficiency of MPs in WWTPs and the discharge flux remain largely unknown. The present study measured the MP abundances in the influents, effluents, and activated sludge in four domestic and one industrial WWTPs in Guangzhou, China. The MP abundance detected in influent samples were approximately one order of magnitude higher than those found in effluents, resulting in high removal efficiencies of MPs (97.4%–98.7%) in these WWTPs. A significant amount of the removed MPs deposited in the activated sludge, with abundances of MPs ranging from 7 to 888 pieces/g dry weight sludge. Microplastics remaining in effluents were discharged into the receiving river with releasing rates of ranging from (1.1±1.0)×107 to (4.54±3.92)×109 pieces per day. Results obtained in the present study suggest that the contribution of MPs from WWTPs to the aquatic environment is non-negligible and the application of sludge in the agricultural environment may bring additional MP pollution to agricultural soils.
More Papers Like This
Prevalence of microplastics and fate in wastewater treatment plants: a review
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed the sources, transport pathways, and fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants, finding that while treatment removes the majority of particles, daily effluent discharges still release hundreds of millions of microplastics to the environment, and COVID-19 personal protective equipment has emerged as a significant additional source.
Transport and fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: implications to environmental health
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed how wastewater treatment plants act as pathways for microplastics entering terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, finding that treated effluents carry both microplastic particles and associated chemical and biological contaminants into the broader environment.
Fate of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants
AI summary Read the abstract
This book examines how microplastics move through wastewater treatment systems, covering sources, treatment technologies, system-specific factors, and future challenges for improving removal efficiency. Understanding the fate of microplastics in wastewater infrastructure is critical because treatment plants simultaneously serve as a primary barrier against and a significant ongoing source of microplastic discharge into aquatic environments.
Distribution and Removal Efficiency of Microplastics in Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tracked microplastics through 12 treatment stages at a large municipal wastewater plant using high-throughput infrared spectroscopy, finding 83% overall removal driven primarily by gravity sedimentation in clarifier tanks, with larger, denser, and fibrous particles removed most efficiently.
Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Occurrence, Fate and Mitigation Strategies
AI summary Read the abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are major conduits for microplastics into the environment, yet even advanced treatment systems fail to fully remove the smallest particles before discharge. Understanding microplastic fate across treatment stages is essential for developing targeted mitigation strategies that reduce the tonnage of plastic particles entering rivers, soils, and ultimately the food supply.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.