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Addressing the Persistent Threat of Emerging Micropollutants: Innovative Treatment Technologies for Protecting Human Health and Ecosystem Stability
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This review critically assessed advanced treatment technologies—including physicochemical, biological, nanomaterial-assisted, and omics-driven approaches—for removing emerging micropollutants like microplastics, hormones, and pharmaceuticals from wastewater. These innovations matter because conventional treatment systems routinely fail to eliminate microplastics, allowing them to persist in treated water used for drinking, irrigation, and industrial processes where they re-enter human exposure pathways.
The presence of emerging micropollutants (EMPs) in the environment has been creating significant risks to human health and ecosystem integrity. These contaminants including steroid hormones, industrial chemicals, detergents, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics often resist conventional water and wastewater treatment methods, necessitating the development of advanced mitigation technologies. This review critically explores EMPs alongside cutting-edge treatment strategies encompassing physicochemical, biological, nanomaterial-assisted, and omics-driven approaches, emphasizing wastewater remediation, environmental sustainability, and resource recovery in line with global sustainability goals. These advancements could support to improve water quality and promote ecosystem health. Furthermore, the reuse of micropollutant-free treated water for non-potable applications such as irrigation and industrial processes is essential to conserve freshwater resources and reduce the pollutant discharge. Ultimately, a multidisciplinary approach grounded in innovative technologies and scientific expertise is vital to handle the challenges posed by EMPs, thereby fostering a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations.
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Microplastics as an Emerged Contaminant and Its Potential Treatment Technologies
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics spread through environments via landfills and sewage systems, and evaluated emerging treatment technologies — including advanced filtration and biodegradation — that could reduce the amount of plastic reaching water supplies and food chains.
Advanced Treatment Technologies for the Removal of Microplastics in Wastewater
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This review examines advanced technologies for removing microplastics from wastewater, assessing their effectiveness, scalability, and limitations across different treatment contexts. Developing better removal methods is critical because conventional wastewater treatment cannot fully stop microplastics from reaching rivers, oceans, and the drinking water supply.
Navigating Microplastic Challenges: Separation and Detection Strategies in Wastewater Treatment
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This review analyzes the separation and detection strategies used within wastewater treatment plants to address microplastic pollution, highlighting the technical limitations that allow substantial amounts of microplastics to pass through into receiving water bodies. Because wastewater treatment plants are the last line of defense before microplastics enter rivers, lakes, and ultimately drinking water, improving their removal efficiency is directly linked to reducing human microplastic exposure.
Enhancing strategies for advanced treatment technologies to reduce microplastic pollution
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Tiny plastic particles called microplastics are showing up everywhere, including our water, food, and bodies, and this review rounds up the best current methods for filtering them out, from simple filters to chemical treatments to bacteria that break down plastic. No single method works perfectly yet (each has downsides like high costs or creating new pollution), so the researchers argue we need better technology, smarter policies, and even ways to recycle captured microplastics into useful materials. The takeaway: cleaning up microplastic pollution is possible, but it will take continued investment and innovation before these solutions can meaningfully protect our water supplies and health.
Microplastic Pollution: Review of Degradation, Detection, and Treatment Technologies
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Researchers reviewed the origins, degradation pathways, detection methods, and treatment technologies for microplastics, finding that their persistence and bioaccumulation potential make them a significant threat to ecosystems and human health requiring multifaceted remediation approaches.
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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.