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Microplastics in wastewaters and their potential effects on aquatic and terrestrial biota
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This review of over 200 studies found that microplastics from wastewater are contaminating both aquatic and land environments, especially when treated wastewater or sewage sludge is used for irrigation. The microplastics can harm fish, soil organisms, plants, and microbial communities, and they serve as carriers for other toxic pollutants. The findings highlight that wastewater is a major pathway through which microplastics reach farmland and, ultimately, human food and drinking water.
Microplastics are often found in the greatest quantities in terrestrial environments, in addition to those found along coasts and in oceans. They may get into water bodies from a variety of different sources such as deposition from the atmosphere, runoff from polluted land, and effluent from municipal treatment plants. The objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the existing scientific literature related to microplastics in wastewater. Specifically, the focus is on investigating the possible impacts of wastewater containing microplastics on both aquatic and terrestrial biota. Additionally, this study attempts to identify any gaps in the current research, with the intention of informing future research priorities in this field. A comprehensive selection of over 200 scientific papers on the subject of microplastic pollution, covering the years 2000–2023, has been selected from a prominent scientific database. These papers encompass a wide range of topics, including recent advancements in the study of microplastics in wastewater, their origins, behaviour in aquatic and terrestrial environments, and their potential adverse impacts on various organisms such as aquatic and terrestrial animals, soil microbial communities, plants, and finally humans. The results showed that using wastewater for irrigation can lead to the presence of microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems and can facilitate the transmission of contaminants in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems by interacting with a wide range of pollutants. The findings also indicate that although there has been significant scientific investigation into marine microplastics, research on the prevalence of microplastic contamination in freshwater and terrestrial environments is comparatively limited and requires greater attention for a better understanding of the fate, transport, and consequences of microplastics in relation to water, soil qualities, polymer composition, forms, and various types of land use.
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Microplastics in the freshwater and terrestrial environments: Prevalence, fates, impacts and sustainable solutions
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This review analyzed over 100 studies on microplastic pollution in freshwater and terrestrial environments, which have received less research attention than marine settings. Researchers found that wastewater treatment plants are the most significant source of environmental microplastics through both sludge application and effluent discharge. The study highlights how microplastics move between land and water systems, enter food chains, and interact with both living organisms and soil chemistry.
Microplastic contamination in sewage sludge: Abundance, characteristics, and impacts on the environment and human health
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This review focuses on microplastics found in sewage sludge, which is often spread on agricultural land as fertilizer. The practice introduces microplastics directly into farm soil, where they can be taken up by crops or leach into groundwater. This creates a pathway for microplastics to reach human food and drinking water, raising concerns about the safety of using sewage sludge in agriculture.
Occurrence and environmental consequences of microplastics and nanoplastics from agricultural reuse of wastewater and biosolids in the soil ecosystem: A review
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This review examines how wastewater and sewage sludge used in agriculture introduce microplastics and nanoplastics into farm soil, where they can persist and accumulate over time. Municipal wastewater can contain thousands of plastic particles per liter, and treated sewage sludge used as fertilizer can contain over 30,000 particles per liter. These practices create a long-term buildup of plastic contamination in agricultural soil that can affect crops, groundwater, and ultimately human food and water supplies.
Existence and fate of microplastics in terrestrial environment: A global fretfulness and abatement strategies
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This review covers the global spread of microplastics in soils, farmland, and other land environments, finding contamination from sources like sewage sludge, plastic mulch, and irrigation water. The study highlights that terrestrial microplastic pollution may actually be greater than marine pollution and poses risks to soil organisms, crop growth, and human health through the food chain.
Microplastics in Sludges and Soils: A Comprehensive Review on Distribution, Characteristics, and Effects
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This review summarizes research on microplastics in sewage sludge and soil, noting that when contaminated sludge is used as fertilizer, it turns farmland into a major reservoir for microplastic pollution. The accumulated microplastics can alter soil properties, harm soil organisms, and potentially enter crops and groundwater, creating pathways for human exposure through food and drinking water.
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