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Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on extracellular polymeric substance composition of activated sludge: The role of surface functional groups
Summary
Researchers investigated how three types of polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface functional groups affect activated sludge used in wastewater treatment. All three types significantly reduced total protein production in the sludge and caused cellular oxidative stress and membrane damage, with positively charged particles causing the most harm. The findings suggest that nanoplastic contamination in wastewater could impair the biological processes essential for effective sewage treatment.
Here we investigated the acute effects (12 h exposure) of three polystyrene nanoplastics (PS NPs, including PS, PS-COOH and PS-NH) on extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) composition of activated sludge. Three PS NPs exhibited the significant inhibition in total EPS and protein (PRO) production. The functional groups involved in the interactions between PS NPs and EPS were C-(C, H), and those between PS-NH NPs and EPS were CO and O-C-O. In addition, the dewaterability of activated sludge were optimized by three PS NPs, especially PS-NH NPs. Three PS NPs caused nonnegligible cellular oxidative stress and cell membrane damage in activated sludge (PS NPs exposure concentration: 100 mg/L). Among them, the cell membrane damage caused by PS-NH was the most significant. Overall, the degree of influence on EPS and cytotoxicity of activated sludge varies with the surface functional groups of PS NPs.