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Deciphering anammox response characteristics and potential mechanisms to polyethylene terephthalate microplastic exposure
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This study tested how PET microplastics affect the bacteria used in wastewater treatment for removing nitrogen pollutants. Long-term exposure to high concentrations of PET microplastics reduced the nitrogen removal efficiency by nearly 29%, though the system partially recovered over three months. The findings matter because compromised wastewater treatment means more pollutants could end up in waterways that supply drinking water.
Microplastics (MPs) are frequently detected in the wastewater. Herein, the short-term and long-term effects of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) MPs on anammox granular sludge were investigated and the potential response mechanisms were analyzed. Results showed that although short-term exposure of anammox granular sludge to PET-MPs induced a stress response, the nitrogen removal performance was not significantly affected. By contrast, long-term exposure to PET-MPs inhibited nitrogen removal performance with increased exposure time and PET-MP concentration. The total nitrogen removal efficiency (TNRE) decreased by 28.7 % when sludge was exposed to 200 mg/L of PET-MPs. However, the anammox activity recovered with prolonged operation time, and approximately 87 % of the initial TNRE was recovered after three months. Microbial community evolution and metabolic exchange variations were the potential response mechanisms of anammox granular sludge to PET-MP exposure, with PET-MP exposure decreasing the anammox bacteria growth rate and relative symbiotic bacterial abundance in the anammox consortia and hindering cross-feeding pathways. The findings of this study provide novel insight into anammox behavior when treating wastewater containing PET-MPs.
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Insight into response characteristics and inhibition mechanisms of anammox granular sludge to polyethylene terephthalate microplastics exposure
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This study tested how PET microplastics affect the anammox process, a key biological method used in wastewater treatment to remove nitrogen. At higher concentrations, PET particles reduced treatment efficiency by about 16% and weakened the structure of the bacterial granules that perform the process. The findings matter because microplastics in sewage could impair the very systems designed to clean our wastewater.
Study on acute exposure of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics on the performance of anammox granular sludge
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Researchers studied how short-term exposure to PET microplastics of different sizes affects the performance of anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria used in wastewater treatment. Surprisingly, acute exposure to PET microplastics actually promoted the denitrification rate of the reactor and increased the activity of key enzymes. The findings suggest that brief microplastic exposure may temporarily boost certain biological wastewater treatment processes, though long-term effects remain unknown.
A review of microplastics on anammox: Influences and mechanisms
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This review summarizes how microplastics affect anammox, a key biological process used in wastewater treatment to remove nitrogen. Microplastics disrupt the microbial communities that perform this process, reducing treatment efficiency depending on plastic concentration, size, and type. Since wastewater treatment is a critical barrier preventing pollutants from reaching drinking water sources, any reduction in treatment performance could increase human exposure to contaminants.
Molecular mechanism of anammox granular sludge disintegration caused by polyethylene terephthalate micro/nanoplastics: a new perspective based on quorum sensing
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Tiny plastic particles from PET plastic (the kind used in water bottles) can break down the beneficial bacteria communities that wastewater treatment plants rely on to remove harmful nitrogen compounds, by disrupting the chemical signals bacteria use to "talk" to each other and stick together. This matters because as microplastic pollution increases, it could weaken our ability to properly treat wastewater, potentially allowing more nitrogen pollution and untreated contaminants to reach our water supplies and environment.
Effects of Microplastics on Nitrogen Removal Performance of Enriched Anammox Cultures
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Researchers tested whether polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics affect anammox, a key biological nitrogen removal process used in wastewater treatment. They found that the physical particles themselves did not significantly inhibit the process, but chemical compounds leaching from the plastics, particularly the plasticizer dibutyl phthalate, caused temporary inhibition. Systems using granular or attached biomass structures showed better resilience to these chemical effects than suspended growth systems.
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