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Understanding the fate of nano-plastics in wastewater treatment plants and their removal using membrane processes
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This review assessed what is known about the fate of nanoplastics in wastewater treatment plants, highlighting that conventional treatment processes are poorly suited to removing particles below 1 µm and that membrane-based processes show the most promise for nanoplastic removal.
Nanoplastics (NPs) have become a major environmental issue due to their adverse effect on the water environment. Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is considered as one of the main sources for breaking down of larger-sized plastic debris and microplastics (MPs) into NPs. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of NPs generation in the WWTPs, their physiochemical characteristics and interaction with the WWTPs. It is found that cracking is the major mechanism of plastics fragmentation in the WWTPs. This review also discusses the current membrane process used for NPs removal. It is found that conventional membrane processes are ineffective as they are not designed for NPs removal and fouling is a major obstacle for its application. Therefore, this study concludes by providing an outlook of developing a bio-nanofiltration process that can be used as a tertiary treatment for removing NPs and other components present in water. Such a process can produce NPs-free water for non-potable use or safe discharge into open waterways.
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This review examines how conventional wastewater treatment plants remove micro- and nanoplastics, and evaluates advanced technologies like membrane filtration and electrocoagulation that could improve removal rates. While existing treatment plants can capture most microplastics, they still release significant quantities into waterways through their enormous discharge volumes. The study highlights that biological treatment steps may also transform microplastics in potentially harmful ways that need further investigation.
Membrane Processes for Microplastic Removal
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This review evaluates the use of membrane technologies for removing microplastics and nanoplastics from wastewater treatment plant effluents. Researchers found that while membrane bioreactors show promise, most existing membrane approaches are still insufficient for comprehensive microplastic removal, especially for the smallest particles. The study suggests that specially designed membrane systems are needed as advanced tertiary treatment to prevent microplastic discharge into waterways.
Nano/microplastics in water and wastewater treatment processes – Origin, impact and potential solutions
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This review examined the origin, fate, and impacts of nano- and microplastics in water and wastewater treatment processes, finding that small particle sizes and diverse polymer compositions make complete removal challenging across conventional and advanced treatment stages. The authors identify detection limitations and process instability as key barriers to effective water treatment for nanoplastics.
Nano and microplastics occurrence in wastewater treatment plants: A comprehensive understanding of microplastics fragmentation and their removal
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This review provides a comprehensive look at how nano- and microplastics move through wastewater treatment plants, from entry to discharge. Researchers examined how larger plastic particles fragment into smaller nano-sized pieces during treatment processes and evaluated which treatment stages are most effective at removing them. The study finds that while conventional treatment removes most microplastics, significant quantities of nanoplastics may still pass through into waterways.
Transport of nanoplastics in water treatment systems. = Transport of nanoplastics in water treatment systems
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This thesis examined how microplastics and nanoplastics behave during passage through wastewater treatment plants, with a focus on understanding removal mechanisms and the fate of particles that evade treatment. The research contributes to understanding how treatment facilities function as partial barriers for nano- and microplastic pollution.
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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.