We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Different sizes of polystyrene microplastics induced distinct microbial responses of anaerobic granular sludge
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed anaerobic granular sludge used in wastewater treatment to polystyrene microplastics of different sizes, ranging from 0.5 to 150 micrometers. They found that larger particles caused progressively greater inhibition of methane production, with distinct microbial community shifts depending on particle size. The study reveals that microplastic size is an important factor in determining the severity of disruption to anaerobic wastewater treatment processes.
Recent investigations confirmed the inhibitory effect of microplastics with single sizes on the anaerobic granular sludge (AGS) wastewater treatment system. However, the differences of toxicity from different sizes of microplastics toward AGS and their underlying mechanism are still unclear. In this work, the responds of AGS exposed to different particle sizes of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) were reported. The results showed that the increasing particle sizes (from 0.5 μm to 150 μm) of PS-MPs induced a gradually increasing and distinct inhibitory (from 6.7% to 16.2%) effect on the cumulative methane production by AGS, accompanied by the similar decreasing organic carbon degradation trends. Correspondingly, the integrity and the cell viability of the AGS granules were damaged and the populations of the key acidogens and methanogens were reduced when exposed to PS-MPs, which was particularly evident in the reactors affected by the larger micron-sized PS-MPs. The zeta potential and contact angle indicated that the larger-sized PS-MPs had the stronger dispersive properties and affinity for AGS, causing the higher oxidative stress and leachates toxicity. Further investigation revealed that the tolerance of AGS to PS-MPs toxicity also exhibited size-dependent trend. Larger particles (e.g., 150 μm) of PS-MPs inhibited extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) secretion, while smaller particles (e.g., 0.5 μm) promoted EPS generation with the release of more humic acid, alleviating their toxicity.
More Papers Like This
Size-dependent effects of polystyrene microplastics on anaerobic digestion performance of food waste: Focusing on oxidative stress, microbial community, key metabolic functions
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics of different sizes affect anaerobic digestion of food waste and found that smaller particles caused greater inhibition of methane production, with reductions up to 33%. The study suggests that small microplastics induce more oxidative stress in microbial communities and suppress key enzymes involved in methane-producing metabolic pathways.
Adsorption Characteristics between DifferentSizes of Microplastics and EPS Fractionsof Anaerobic Granular Sludge
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined how different sizes of polystyrene microplastics interact with extracellular polymeric substances in anaerobic granular sludge. Researchers found that smaller microplastics stimulated greater production of these substances, while larger particles had the opposite effect, suggesting particle size plays a key role in how microplastics affect wastewater treatment processes.
Polystyrene nanoplastics shape microbiome and functional metabolism in anaerobic digestion
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics affect the microbial communities and biochemical processes in anaerobic digestion systems used for waste treatment. They found that nanoplastics had a more disruptive effect than microplastics, significantly altering the composition and metabolic functions of the microbial community. The study suggests that plastic contamination in waste streams could reduce the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, a widely used waste processing technology.
Deciphering the role of polystyrene microplastics in waste activated sludge anaerobic digestion: Changes of organics transformation, microbial community and metabolic pathway
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics in sewage sludge affected the anaerobic digestion process used to treat waste, with low concentrations slightly boosting methane production but high concentrations reducing it by up to 11%. The microplastics disrupted key bacterial communities and enzyme activities needed for proper waste breakdown. This matters because wastewater treatment plants handle enormous volumes of microplastic-laden sludge, and impaired digestion could reduce treatment effectiveness and release more pollutants into the environment.
Polystyrene nanoplastics reshape the anaerobic granular sludge for recovering methane from wastewater
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated the long-term effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on anaerobic granular sludge used for methane recovery from wastewater over a 120-day continuous test. The study found that while low nanoplastic concentrations had minimal impact, higher concentrations reshaped the microbial community structure and altered sludge performance, raising concerns about nanoplastic effects on wastewater treatment processes.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.