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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to New insights of NaClO induced polyvinyl chloride microplastics affect sewage treatment in activated sludge
ClearResponse of wastewater treatment performance and bacterial community to original and aged polyvinyl chloride microplastics in sequencing batch reactors
This study found that PVC microplastics, both fresh and aged, severely harmed wastewater treatment processes by reducing the removal of harmful chemicals like ammonia and organic pollutants. The microplastics shifted the bacterial communities in the treatment system, reducing helpful nitrogen-removing bacteria while promoting other types. This means microplastic contamination of wastewater plants could lead to poorer water treatment quality, allowing more pollutants to reach rivers and drinking water sources.
Effect of microplastics on sodium hypochlorite disinfection and changes in its toxicity on zebrafish
Researchers studied the two-way interaction between polyethylene microplastics and sodium hypochlorite disinfection, finding that microplastics reduced disinfection efficiency by consuming the disinfectant. At the same time, the disinfection process altered the surface properties and toxicity of the microplastics themselves, increasing their harmful effects on zebrafish. The study highlights that microplastic contamination in water systems can both undermine treatment processes and create new toxicity risks.
Effect evaluation of microplastics on activated sludge nitrification and denitrification
Researchers found that microplastics entering wastewater treatment plants interfere with the nitrification and denitrification processes carried out by activated sludge microbes, potentially reducing the effectiveness of nutrient removal in sewage treatment. This effect could undermine water quality if microplastic loads in wastewater continue to increase.
Effects of polyvinylchloride microplastics on the toxicity of nanoparticles and antibiotics to aerobic granular sludge: Nitrogen removal, microbial community and resistance genes
Researchers examined how PVC microplastics affect wastewater treatment systems that also contain copper oxide nanoparticles and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. They found that low concentrations of microplastics actually reduced some toxic effects of the other pollutants, but higher concentrations worsened nitrogen removal efficiency and increased antibiotic resistance genes. The study highlights the complex ways microplastics can alter the behavior of other contaminants in water treatment.
Mechanisms underlying the detrimental impact of micro(nano)plastics on the stability of aerobic granular sludge: Interactions between micro(nano)plastics and extracellular polymeric substances
Researchers found that both micro- and nanoplastics at realistic concentrations harmed the performance of aerobic granular sludge, a technology used for wastewater treatment, by reducing its ability to remove nitrogen. The plastic particles interacted with the sticky substances that hold the sludge granules together, weakening their structural integrity. The study reveals a specific mechanism by which plastic pollution can undermine wastewater treatment systems that communities rely on for clean water.
Characterization of the microplastic photoaging under the action of typical salt ions of biological nitrogen removal processes
Photoaging — the breakdown of plastics under UV light — of PVC microplastics was significantly slowed in the presence of bicarbonate and nitrate ions commonly found in wastewater treatment systems. Paradoxically, aged PVC particles leached more contaminants and more readily adsorbed nitrogen compounds than fresh particles, with leaching increasing as particles got smaller. Understanding how wastewater chemistry alters the aging and behavior of microplastics is critical for improving the ability of treatment plants to remove and manage plastic particles before they are released into waterways.
Insight into the effect of UVC-based advanced oxidation processes on the interaction of typical microplastics and their derived disinfection byproducts during disinfection
Scientists found that UV-based water treatment processes, while intended to clean drinking water, caused microplastics to release more organic matter and form more disinfection byproducts during chlorination. Up to 42% of the toxic byproducts formed were absorbed back onto the microplastic surfaces, creating contaminated particles. This concerning finding suggests that some common water treatment methods could unintentionally make microplastic contamination in drinking water more hazardous.
Volatile organic compounds generation pathways and mechanisms from microplastics in water: Ultraviolet, chlorine and ultraviolet/chlorine disinfection
Researchers examined how UV, chlorine, and combined UV/chlorine disinfection treatments cause microplastics to release volatile organic compounds, identifying distinct degradation pathways for polypropylene, polystyrene, and PVC that generate diverse chemical byproducts in treated water.
Effects of microplastics accumulation and antibiotics contamination in anaerobic membrane bioreactors for municipal wastewater treatment
This study found that when aged PVC microplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin are both present in wastewater treatment systems, they interact to make each other's harmful effects worse. The combination cut treatment efficiency in half and disrupted the microbes needed for wastewater processing, raising concerns about how microplastic pollution could undermine water treatment that protects public health.
Insight into the chemical transformation and organic release of polyurethane microplastics during chlorination
Scientists investigated what happens to polyurethane microplastics during water chlorination, a standard step in water treatment. They found that chlorination breaks down the plastic surface and releases organic chemicals, especially from UV-weathered particles, which produced significantly more leached compounds. The findings suggest that water treatment processes themselves may inadvertently release harmful byproducts from microplastics.
Microplastics shaped performance, microbial ecology and community assembly in simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal process
This study found that polystyrene and PVC microplastics disrupted the performance of wastewater treatment systems designed to remove nitrogen and phosphorus, reducing nitrogen removal by up to 10%. The microplastics altered microbial communities, decreased cooperation between beneficial bacteria, and blocked important biological pathways. Since wastewater treatment is a key barrier against pollution reaching drinking water, microplastic interference with these systems could indirectly increase human exposure to harmful contaminants.
Leaching of organic matter from microplastics and its role in disinfection by-product formation
Researchers found that microplastics leach organic matter into water that subsequently acts as a precursor for disinfection by-products during chlorination, with polystyrene MPs generating the most leachate and producing the most by-products compared to polyethylene MPs.
Revealing How Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastic Physicochemically Affect the Anaerobic Digestion of Waste Activated Sludge
PVC microplastics in sewage sludge change the surface chemistry of sludge flocs, raising the energy barrier between sludge and the microbes that break it down and causing microbial communities to reorganise. At low concentrations PVC initially increases contact efficiency, but at higher concentrations it coats sludge surfaces and blocks microbial access, ultimately reducing methane production in anaerobic digesters — a finding relevant to the performance and safety of wastewater treatment plants receiving plastic-contaminated sludge.
Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastics Facilitate Nitrous Oxide Production in Partial Nitritation Systems
Researchers found that PVC microplastics in wastewater treatment systems can increase the production of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas. Higher concentrations of these plastic particles disrupted normal nitrogen-processing activity, while lower doses had minimal effect on overall system performance.
Insights into Mechanism of Hypochlorite-Induced Functionalization of Polymers toward Separating BFR-Containing Components from Microplastics
This study found that treating polymer surfaces with hypochlorite (bleach) modifies their chemistry in ways that enable a flotation technique to separate microplastics by type for recycling. The approach could help sort mixed plastic waste more efficiently, potentially reducing the volume of plastic entering the environment.
The Aging Behavior of Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastics by UV/Sodium Percarbonate Oxidation: Efficiency and Mechanism
Researchers investigated how UV-activated sodium percarbonate breaks down PVC microplastics, finding effective dechlorination and fragmentation after 35 hours of treatment. The study identified hydroxyl and carbonate radicals as the primary agents driving the aging process, providing insights into how advanced oxidation could be used to treat microplastic-contaminated wastewater.
Evaluation of microplastic polyvinylchloride and antibiotics tetracycline co-effect on the partial nitrification process
This study investigated the combined effects of PVC microplastics and the antibiotic tetracycline on nitrification — the biological process by which wastewater treatment plants remove ammonia from sewage. Both pollutants reduced nitrification efficiency, and their combined presence caused greater disruption than either alone, complicating the treatment of wastewater that contains multiple contaminants.
Effects of polyvinyl chloride microplastics and benzylalkyldimethylethyl compounds on system performance, microbial community and resistance genes in sulfur autotrophic denitrification system
Researchers found that PVC microplastics and a common disinfectant chemical in wastewater treatment systems promoted the spread of antibiotic resistance genes, with the disinfectant having an even stronger effect than the microplastics. The microplastic surfaces harbored disease-causing bacteria that carried these resistance genes. This is concerning because wastewater treatment plants could be releasing both microplastics and antibiotic-resistant pathogens into waterways, potentially threatening human health.
The Effects of Microplastics on Floc Formation, Nutrient Removal and Settleability in Wastewater Treatment
Researchers examined the interactions of microplastics with activated sludge in wastewater treatment plants, investigating effects on floc formation, nutrient removal efficiency, and settleability to understand how microplastic contamination may compromise treatment performance.
Insight into the dynamic transformation properties of microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter and its contribution to the formation of chlorination disinfection by-products
Researchers studied how dissolved organic matter released from microplastics transforms under UV light and how it contributes to the formation of harmful disinfection byproducts during water chlorination. They found that UV exposure changed the chemical composition of the microplastic-derived organic matter, affecting its reactivity during disinfection. The findings suggest that microplastics in water sources may indirectly increase the formation of potentially harmful chemicals during standard water treatment.
Effects of microplastics on DBPs formation under the chlorination of natural organic matters
Researchers investigated how microplastics affect disinfection byproduct formation during chlorination of natural organic matter in water treatment, finding that the presence of microplastics can influence the generation of potentially harmful DBPs.
Effect of Sodium Hypochlorite Disinfection on Polyvinylidene Fluoride Membranes in Microplastic Ultrafiltration
Researchers studied how sodium hypochlorite disinfection, commonly used in water treatment plants, affects the ability of ultrafiltration membranes to remove microplastics. They found that while pre-chlorination improved water flow through the membrane, it significantly reduced the microplastic removal rate from 36.6% to 22.6%. The study also showed that prolonged chlorine exposure damaged the membrane structure, raising concerns about the long-term effectiveness of this approach.
Mechanistic insights into the impact of multi-dimensional microplastic stress on nitrogen removal by heterotrophic nitrifying-aerobic denitrifying bacteria: A meta-transcriptomic analysis
Researchers studied how different types of microplastics affect bacteria that are used to remove nitrogen from wastewater. They found that PVC microplastics were particularly disruptive, interfering with enzyme function and gene expression needed for denitrification. The study provides molecular-level insights into how microplastic pollution could undermine biological wastewater treatment systems.
Chlorine disinfection enhances the degradation of biodegradable microplastics into nanoplastics and dissolved organic carbon in a simulated disinfection process
Lab experiments showed that the chlorine disinfectant used in wastewater treatment plants actively breaks down biodegradable microplastics (PLA and PBAT), generating nanoplastics and dissolved organic carbon in the process. This finding is concerning because it suggests that standard disinfection, while killing pathogens, may inadvertently create smaller and potentially more bioavailable plastic particles that then enter waterways.