Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

[Whole Process Analysis and Fate Behavior of Microplastics in Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants, Including their Occurrence Forms, Components, and Removal Efficiency].

A full-process analysis at a wastewater treatment plant in Hohhot, China found that fibrous microplastics were most abundant, accounting for 61.8 percent of total particles, with particle size and abundance changing across treatment stages. The study maps how microplastics migrate and what fraction is removed by each treatment step.

2024 PubMed 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution characteristics of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants in mega cities–the case study of Chengdu City

Researchers studied microplastic distribution and removal across wastewater treatment plant processes in China, finding that WWTPs intercept large quantities of MPs before discharge but that residual concentrations in effluent still represent a significant pathway for environmental MP release.

2025 Scientific Reports 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of different treatment processes in four municipal wastewater treatment plants on the transport and fate of microplastics

Researchers investigated microplastic transport and fate across four municipal wastewater treatment plants in southeastern China, finding that different treatment processes varied in their microplastic removal efficiency, with fibers and fragments as the dominant types.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and removal characteristics of microplastics at a wastewater treatment plant in Zhengzhou

Researchers investigated microplastic abundance and removal efficiency across treatment stages at a wastewater treatment plant in Zhengzhou, China, sampling sewage at each processing section to track migration and fate of microplastics. The study characterized removal rates and identified which treatment stages were most effective at capturing microplastic contaminants.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Effectiveness of conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants in microplastics removal: Insights from multiple analytical techniques

Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants in removing microplastics across multiple treatment stages, finding removal efficiencies of 70–90% but documenting that billions of particles still pass through in final effluent daily.

2025 Journal of Environmental Sciences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and Removal of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Perspectives on Shape, Type, and Density

Researchers compiled data from multiple countries on microplastic removal efficiency across different stages of wastewater treatment plants. They found that removal rates varied widely, from 48% in some facilities to over 90% in others, depending on the treatment technologies employed. The study suggests that while conventional wastewater treatment can capture a significant portion of microplastics, advanced tertiary treatment methods are needed to further reduce discharge into the environment.

2024 Water 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of wastewater treatment process on pollution characteristics and fate of microplastics

Researchers investigated microplastic abundance and removal efficiency across four wastewater treatment plants using different treatment technologies, finding influent concentrations between 539 and 1,290 particles per liter that were reduced substantially by primary and secondary treatment. Smaller microplastic particles proved hardest to remove and most likely to persist in final effluent.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Where do they go? A review of the wastewater treatment process and its impact on the fate of microplastics

This review examines the fate of microplastics across the physical, chemical, and biological stages of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) processes, finding that WWTPs act as both sources and destinations for microplastics while not being designed to remove them, and surveying new removal strategies.

2025 Detritus
Article Tier 2

Microplastics removal in wastewater treatment plants: a critical review

This critical review of microplastic removal in wastewater treatment plants examines removal efficiencies across different treatment stages, finding that while WWTPs remove the majority of microplastics from influent, they still release millions of particles daily and are a major pathway for microplastics entering aquatic environments.

2020 Environmental Science Water Research & Technology 398 citations
Article Tier 2

Significant effects of rural wastewater treatment plants in reducing microplastic pollution: A perspective from China's southwest area

Researchers studied microplastic pollution at rural wastewater treatment plants in southwestern China and found influent concentrations of 3.8 to 8.2 particles per liter, with removal rates of only 14 to 55%. Based on national sewage discharge data, they estimated China's annual microplastic emissions through wastewater at nearly 3,000 tons, with rural areas contributing about 25%. The study highlights that rural wastewater systems, though often overlooked, represent a significant source of microplastic pollution entering waterways.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of occurrence, abundance, and characterization of microplastics in wastewater treatment plant in New Delhi, India

Researchers quantified microplastic prevalence in influent, treated effluent, and sludge from a wastewater treatment plant in New Delhi, finding that MPs are present throughout the treatment process and that the plant incompletely removes them, discharging MPs into receiving waters.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

A study on characteristics of microplastic in wastewater of South Korea: Identification, quantification, and fate of microplastics during treatment process

Microplastics were tracked through three South Korean wastewater treatment plants with different tertiary treatment methods, finding 75–92% removal by primary and secondary treatment and over 98% removal after tertiary treatment. The study confirms that advanced treatment steps are necessary to approach near-complete microplastic removal from municipal wastewater.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 555 citations
Article Tier 2

[Removal of Microplastics by Different Treatment Processes in Shanghai Large Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants].

A study of two large wastewater treatment plants in Shanghai found that microplastic concentrations in incoming sewage were very high, and overall removal efficiency ranged from 63% to 90% depending on treatment processes. Even with high removal rates, large volumes of microplastics are still discharged to waterways daily.

2019 PubMed 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence Characterization and Contamination Risk Evaluation of Microplastics in Hefei’s Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant

Researchers characterized microplastic contamination at various stages of a wastewater treatment plant in Hefei, China, under both dry and rainy weather conditions. They found that while the treatment process removed a significant portion of microplastics, notable amounts still passed into the effluent, with rain increasing contamination levels. The study provides a detailed assessment of how effectively current wastewater treatment technology handles microplastic pollution.

2023 Water 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification, Quantification, and Evaluation of Microplastics Removal Efficiency in a Water Treatment Plant (A Case Study in Iran)

Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence and removal efficiency across treatment stages of a drinking water treatment plant in Iran, finding an influent concentration of 1597.7 MPs/L with an overall removal efficiency of 83.7%, yet still discharging an estimated 2.25 x 10^11 MPs daily into the distribution system, with PP, PE, and PET as the dominant polymers.

2022 Air Soil and Water Research 14 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Removal of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: insights from a literature meta-analysis

Researchers analyzed 147 studies covering 509 real wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to assess how effectively they remove microplastics, finding a median removal rate of 95% after full tertiary treatment. However, significant data gaps remain — especially around the fate of microplastics in sewage sludge and the behavior of very small particles — underscoring the need for standardized testing methods across facilities.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and Removal of Microplastics in Tertiary Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Case Study of Three Plants in Zhengzhou, China

Researchers studied microplastic occurrence and removal efficiency at three wastewater treatment plants in Zhengzhou, China. The study found influent concentrations ranging from 147 to 289 particles per liter, with removal efficiencies between 76% and 91%, indicating that while treatment plants significantly reduce microplastic levels, substantial quantities still pass through to receiving waters.

2024 Processes 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and removal mechanism of microplastics in urban wastewater plants systems via different processes

Researchers compared the microplastic removal efficiency of three wastewater treatment technologies and found that the anaerobic-anoxic-oxic process achieved the highest removal rate at 83.9%. Most microplastics were transferred to sludge during primary and secondary treatment stages, with dehydrated sludge containing significant concentrations. The study highlights that while wastewater treatment plants effectively intercept most microplastics, they also redistribute contamination to sludge, which may become a secondary pollution source.

2023 Environmental Pollution 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Toward a Better Understanding of the Contribution of Wastewater Treatment Plants to Microplastic Pollution in Receiving Waterways

This review examines how wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) contribute to microplastic pollution in receiving waterways, synthesizing evidence on removal efficiencies of different treatment stages and the characteristics of microplastics that escape into the environment. Researchers found that while WWTPs remove the majority of incoming microplastics, they remain a significant source of microplastic discharge due to the large volumes of wastewater processed daily.

2022 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of microplastic removal efficiency of wastewater-treatment plants in a developing country, Vietnam

Researchers evaluated microplastic removal efficiency at four wastewater treatment plants in Vietnam, finding removal rates of 92-99% but substantial daily microplastic loads still entering receiving waters through effluent discharge.

2023 Environmental Technology & Innovation 59 citations