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Microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: Detection, occurrence and removal
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Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics affect the marine microalga Chaetoceros neogracile and found that exposure reduced growth and photosynthetic activity. The nanoplastics physically attached to the algal cells and triggered oxidative stress, suggesting they can interfere with the base of the marine food web. The study raises concerns that nanoplastic pollution could have cascading effects on ocean ecosystems by harming the tiny organisms that produce much of the world's oxygen.
Microplastics have aroused increasing concern as they pose threats to aquatic species as well as human beings. They do not only contribute to accumulation of plastics in the environment, but due to absorption they can also contribute to spreading of micropollutants in the environment. Studies indicated that wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) play an important role in releasing microplastics to the environment. Therefore, effective detection of the microplastics and understanding their occurrence and fate in WWTPs are of great importance towards microplastics control. In this review, the up-to-date status on the detection, occurrence and removal of microplastics in WWTPs are comprehensively reviewed. Specifically, the different techniques used for collecting microplastics from both wastewater and sewage sludge, and their pretreatment and characterization methods are reviewed and analyzed. The key aspects regarding microplastics occurrence in WWTPs, such as concentrations, total discharges, materials, shapes and sizes are summarized and compared. Microplastics removal in different treatment stages and their retention in sewage sludge are explored. The development of potential microplastics-targeted treatment technologies is also presented. Although previous researches in microplastics have undoubtedly improved our level of understanding, it is clear that much remains to be learned about microplastics in WWTPs, as many unanswered questions and thereby concerns still remain; some of these important future research areas are outlined. The key challenges appear to be to harmonize detection methods as well as microplastics mitigation from wastewater and sewage sludge.
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Impact of Nano-Polystyrene on Growth Rate and Physiological Metabolism of Microalgae Chlorella vulgaris
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (nano-plastics), the kind that come from breaking-down plastic waste, can harm microalgae — tiny organisms that form the base of the ocean's food chain and help produce oxygen. Depending on the amount of plastic and type of light exposure, these particles either stressed out the algae's growth or disrupted their internal defense systems, showing that plastic pollution can ripple through the food web that humans ultimately depend on for seafood and healthy oceans.
Ecotoxicity of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic algae: Facts, challenges, and future opportunities
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This review provides a comprehensive assessment of how micro- and nanoplastics harm aquatic algae, which form the base of ocean and freshwater food chains. The toxic effects include reduced growth, oxidative stress, and disrupted photosynthesis, with nanoplastics generally causing more damage than larger particles. Since algae support the entire aquatic food web, their decline from plastic pollution could reduce the quality and safety of fish and shellfish consumed by people.
Impact of polystyrene microplastics on the growth and photosynthetic efficiency of diatom Chaetoceros neogracile
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Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics significantly reduced the growth and photosynthetic ability of the diatom Chaetoceros neogracile, an important part of the ocean food web. Higher concentrations of microplastics caused more damage, decreasing the algae's ability to produce energy from light. Since diatoms are a foundational food source in the ocean, this disruption could ripple through the food chain and ultimately affect the quality of seafood that reaches people's plates.
Microplastic pollution disrupts microalgal physiology globally: a meta-analysis
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A large analysis of 67 studies found that microplastics harm the tiny algae that form the base of freshwater food chains, stunting their growth, reducing their numbers, and impairing photosynthesis, with the smallest "nanoplastic" particles causing the most damage. Since these algae produce oxygen and support the entire aquatic food web (including fish we eat), widespread plastic pollution could ripple upward, potentially affecting water quality and food supplies that humans depend on.
Concentration dependent toxicity of microplastics to marine microalgae
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Researchers exposed the marine microalga Chlorella sp. to polystyrene microplastics at concentrations of 10 and 50 mg/L, finding that even low concentrations inhibited growth and disrupted photosynthesis, while higher concentrations caused more pronounced oxidative stress.
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