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Microplastics removal through water treatment plants: Its feasibility, efficiency, future prospects and enhancement by proper waste management
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Researchers reviewed over 80 studies on water treatment plant performance and found microplastic removal ranges widely — from 16% in basic primary treatment up to near 100% with advanced membrane systems — but a major flaw is that removed microplastics concentrate in sludge, which can re-enter the environment. The review recommends optimizing coagulants and sludge treatment to prevent microplastics from simply being relocated rather than eliminated.
With water treatment plants providing a viable solution for removal of microplastics from the environment, this review examines the overall and stage-wise efficiency of various water treatment technologies in removing microplastics and the technologies for managing water treatment wastes. More than 80 scholarly papers published in the past 10 years were reviewed. This review showed highly variable efficiency of the water treatment technologies with primary treatment of wastewater treatment plant reported to remove 16.5 to 98.4% microplastics. Secondary treatment of wastewater treatment plant has overall microplastics removal efficiency ranging from 78.1 to 100% and stage-wise efficiency from 7% (activated sludge) to 99.9% (membrane reactor). Tertiary treatment removes an overall 87.3% to above 99.9% microplastics. Initial coagulation and sedimentation of drinking water treatment plant can normally remove 1.8% to 54.5% of microplastics though advanced treatment pushes microplastics removal to overall 88.6%. Use of larger-than-normal dose of flocculent experimentally significantly increases microplastics removal up to 62%. The largest fraction of microplastics removed conventionally is trapped in sludge. This review highlights the feasibility of water treatment for removal of microplastics from water sources but reveals sludge and membranes as significant sources of microplastics from water treatment. It recommends enhancement of water treatment through adjustment of coagulants, potential use of emerging sol-gel technology and incorporation of advanced treatment for more efficient removal of microplastics. It advocates thermal pretreatment of sludge to potentially facilitate microplastics breakdown and recycle of membrane to reduce re-entry of microplastics into the environment.
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Recent advances on microplastics pollution and removal from wastewater systems: A critical review
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This review summarizes the latest research on microplastic detection, occurrence, and removal in wastewater treatment plants. While treatment plants can remove 57-99% of microplastics depending on the stage, significant amounts still escape into the environment through treated water and sludge. The findings highlight the need for advanced treatment methods to prevent microplastics from reaching waterways and ultimately human water supplies.
The Effect of Wastewater Treatment Plants on Retainment of Plastic Microparticles to Enhance Water Quality—A Review
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This review examined how well wastewater treatment plants remove microplastics, finding that most conventional systems achieve high removal rates but still discharge significant plastic quantities in treated effluent and sludge. Improving treatment efficiency and preventing sludge application to farmland are key strategies for reducing microplastic release.
Removal of Microplastics from Wastewater Treatment Plants: Strategies, Efficiency, and Future Prospects
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This review paper summarizes existing research on tiny plastic particles found in wastewater. Treatment plants were reported to remove over 90% of these particles during standard treatment stages, with even higher removal when extra pretreatment steps were used, though some particles still escape into the environment through treated water and sludge.
Fate of Microplastic Pollution Along the Water and Sludge Lines in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants
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Researchers evaluated microplastic abundance and distribution across three municipal wastewater treatment plants using different treatment technologies. The study found that all three plants achieved greater than 97% microplastic removal along the water treatment line, with microplastics concentrating in the sludge fraction, underscoring the important role of sludge treatment in sequestering microplastics from wastewater.
Microplastic removal and management strategies for wastewater treatment plants
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This review examines how well different wastewater treatment technologies remove microplastics and what management strategies can improve performance. While conventional treatment plants can remove a large percentage of microplastics from water, the particles often end up concentrated in sewage sludge that gets applied to farmland. The study highlights the need for advanced treatment options and better management of biosolids to prevent microplastics from simply being transferred from water to soil.
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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.