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Occurrence and Removal of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics accumulate in wastewater treatment plants and how effectively current treatment technologies remove them, finding that while plants capture most microplastics, significant quantities still pass through into receiving waterways with each discharge cycle.
Microplastics are emerging pollutants that are ubiquitous in a wide range of environments, yet the accumulation of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants is of particular importance because wastewater treatment plants pour their effluents in ecosystems. Here we...
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Evaluation of Microplastic Abundance and Removal in Wastewater Treatment Plant Processes
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Researchers evaluated how effectively wastewater treatment plants remove microplastics before releasing water into the environment, finding that while some removal occurs, treatment plants were never designed for this purpose and remain a significant pathway for microplastics to enter aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Removal of Microplastic from Wastewater Treatment Plants
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This review evaluated stage-by-stage microplastic removal efficiencies across wastewater treatment plant unit processes — including screening, sedimentation, biological treatment, and tertiary filtration — and assessed emerging innovations such as membrane bioreactors and advanced oxidation to improve removal rates beyond current averages of 70–99%. Because treated wastewater effluent is a primary pathway for microplastics to reach rivers and drinking water sources, optimizing removal at these facilities is one of the highest-leverage interventions available for protecting human health.
Fate of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants
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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
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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
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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.
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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.