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Wet oxidation technology can significantly reduce both microplastics and nanoplastics
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Researchers evaluated wet oxidation technology at an industrial scale for its ability to reduce micro- and nanoplastic contamination in organic waste processing. The study found that wet oxidation decreased the total mass concentration of microplastics and nanoplastics by 94.8% to 98.6%, completely removing fibers and certain polymer types while still enabling recovery of organic resources.
For the resource recovery of biomass waste, it is a challenge to simultaneously remove micro-/nano-plastics pollution but preserve organic resources. Wet oxidation is a promising technology for valorization of organic wastes through thermal hydrolysis and oxidation. This might in turn result in the degradation of microplastics in the presence of oxygen and high temperatures. Based on this hypothesis, this study quantified both microplastics and nanoplastics in an industrial-scale wet oxidation reactor from a full-size coverage perspective. Wet oxidation significantly reduced the size and mass of individual microplastics, and decreased total mass concentration of microplastics and nanoplastics by 94.8 % to 98.6 %. This technology also reduced the micro- and nanoplastic shapes and polymer types, resulting in a complete removal of fibers, clusters, polypropylene (PP) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The present study confirms that wet oxidation technology is effective in removing microplastics and nanoplastics while recovering organic waste.
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Micro- and nanoplastics removal from water and solid matrices: Technologies, challenges, and future perspectives
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Researchers reviewed a decade of research on micro- and nanoplastic removal technologies across water and solid matrices, finding that conventional water treatment achieves over 80% microplastic removal but transfers most particles to sludge rather than degrading them, while advanced oxidation processes show strong degradation potential under controlled but not yet real-world conditions.
A novel method for organic matter removal from samples containing microplastics
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Researchers developed a novel organic matter removal method for wastewater treatment plant sludge samples containing microplastics, demonstrating that the approach is more time- and cost-effective than existing techniques while preserving microplastic integrity for accurate quantification and identification.
Removal of microplastics in unit processes used in water and wastewater treatment: a review
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This review evaluates various water and wastewater treatment technologies for their ability to remove microplastics, including filtration, coagulation, and advanced oxidation methods. The authors found that while conventional treatment plants can remove a large percentage of microplastics, significant quantities still pass through into treated water. The study calls for combining multiple treatment steps and developing new technologies specifically designed to capture micro- and nanoplastic particles.
Microplastics extraction from wastewater treatment plants: Two-step digestion pre-treatment and application
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Researchers developed an optimized two-step digestion method for extracting microplastics from wastewater treatment plant samples, achieving high recovery rates especially in organic-rich matrices like sludge, and applied it across multiple treatment stages.
Simultaneous degradation of microplastics and sludge during wet air oxidation
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This study showed that wet air oxidation (WAO) — a high-temperature, high-pressure sludge treatment — can simultaneously break down polyethylene, polystyrene, and PET microplastics along with the sewage sludge they contaminate. All three plastic types were degraded without leaving detectable solid plastic residues, with acetic acid as the primary breakdown product. This is significant because conventional wastewater treatment cannot destroy microplastics, so WAO represents a promising upgrade for eliminating a major environmental release pathway.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.