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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Co-occurrence of microplastics, heavy metals, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in sewage sludge: One matrix, multiple threats to agricultural soils
ClearSource, occurrence, migration and potential environmental risk of microplastics in sewage sludge and during sludge amendment to soil
This review examines microplastics in sewage sludge and the risks of applying sludge as agricultural fertilizer, finding that sludge acts as both a sink for sewage microplastics and a source when spread on fields. Co-accumulated heavy metals, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes on microplastics further complicate the environmental risks of sludge amendment to soils.
Hidden contaminants: Unveiling the content of microplastics in municipal sewage sludge that may affect soil ecosystems
Researchers analyzed sewage sludge from two municipal treatment plants and found up to 116,000 microplastic particles per kilogram of dry sludge, with fiber-shaped and film-shaped particles dominating each plant respectively — highlighting the risk of spreading microplastic contamination to farmland when sludge is used as fertilizer.
Sewage sludge application as a vehicle for microplastics in eastern Spanish agricultural soils
Scientists measured microplastics in sewage sludge from Spanish wastewater treatment plants and in agricultural soils receiving sludge applications, finding that sludge application transferred hundreds to thousands of microplastic particles per kilogram into agricultural soil.
Tracking nonregulated micropollutants in sewage sludge: Antimicrobials, OH-PAHs, and microplastics — Environmental risks, fertilizer implications and energy considerations
Researchers tracked antimicrobials, hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and microplastics in sewage sludge and fertilizers derived from it. The study found that while fertilizer production reduced some contaminants, significant levels of antimicrobials and an average of over 2,400 microplastic particles persisted in stabilized sludge, raising concerns about environmental contamination when these materials are applied to agricultural land.
Soil contamination with microplastics (MPs) from treated wastewater and sewage sludge: risks and sustainable mitigation strategies
Researchers reviewed how microplastics from treated wastewater and sewage sludge — both commonly applied to farmland — contaminate agricultural soils and ultimately enter the food chain, with alarming evidence of microplastics already detected in human blood, reproductive tissue, and placentas. The review calls for better wastewater treatment and sustainable farming practices to reduce this growing health threat.
Microplastics in Sewage Sludge: A Known but Underrated Pathway in Wastewater Treatment Plants
This review finds that wastewater treatment plants effectively transfer microplastics from effluent into sewage sludge, creating a significant but underrated pathway for MP contamination when sludge is applied to agricultural soils.
Mapping microplastics in sludge
Researchers mapped microplastic contamination in sewage sludge from eight Norwegian wastewater treatment plants, finding plastics in all ten samples with an overall average of 6,077 particles per kilogram dry weight. Based on current sludge application rates in Norway, researchers estimated that over 500 billion microplastic particles enter the environment annually through agricultural and land application of sewage sludge.
Assessing metal contamination and speciation in sewage sludge: implications for soil application and environmental risk
This systematic review estimated that global sewage sludge production could triple to 160 million tons if all wastewater were treated to EU standards, and found that metals in sludge applied to farmland are predominantly in less bioavailable forms. The research is relevant to microplastics because sewage sludge is a major pathway for microplastic contamination of agricultural soils, carrying both metal and plastic pollutants to farmland.
Microplastics in an agricultural soil following repeated application of three types of sewage sludge: A field study
Researchers investigated microplastics in agricultural soil after repeated sewage sludge application, finding that sludge-amended soils contained significantly more small microplastic particles than unamended soils, with particle accumulation varying by sludge type.
Fate of microplastics in sewage sludge and in agricultural soils
Researchers reviewed how microplastics accumulate in sewage sludge at wastewater treatment plants and then spread into agricultural soils when that sludge is applied as fertilizer, finding that sludge treatment processes can alter microplastic size and shape but do not eliminate them. The review calls for standardized methods to study how different sludge treatments affect microplastic properties and their downstream risks to soil health.
Occurrence and environmental consequences of microplastics and nanoplastics from agricultural reuse of wastewater and biosolids in the soil ecosystem: A review
This review examines how wastewater and sewage sludge used in agriculture introduce microplastics and nanoplastics into farm soil, where they can persist and accumulate over time. Municipal wastewater can contain thousands of plastic particles per liter, and treated sewage sludge used as fertilizer can contain over 30,000 particles per liter. These practices create a long-term buildup of plastic contamination in agricultural soil that can affect crops, groundwater, and ultimately human food and water supplies.
Evidence of microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils from sewage sludge disposal
Agricultural soils from 31 fields with different sludge application histories were analyzed for microplastics, finding significant accumulation in fields with repeated sludge applications and a positive correlation between application frequency and plastic particle counts. The study provides direct field evidence that sewage sludge fertilization is a major pathway for microplastic accumulation in agricultural soil.
Extent and impact of microplastics on soil nutrients and biota: a trade-off assessment
This review examines the extent of microplastic inputs from sewage sludge applied to agricultural soils, synthesizing evidence on how sludge-derived microplastics affect soil nutrient availability, soil biota, plant performance, and crop productivity, concluding that the benefits of sludge as a soil amendment must be weighed against its role as a vector for microplastic contamination.
Microplastic contamination in sewage sludge: Abundance, characteristics, and impacts on the environment and human health
This review focuses on microplastics found in sewage sludge, which is often spread on agricultural land as fertilizer. The practice introduces microplastics directly into farm soil, where they can be taken up by crops or leach into groundwater. This creates a pathway for microplastics to reach human food and drinking water, raising concerns about the safety of using sewage sludge in agriculture.
Seasonal Variation, Distribution and Characteristics of Microplastic in Sewage Sludge
Researchers investigated seasonal variation in microplastic concentration, distribution, and characteristics within sewage sludge at wastewater treatment plants, examining how precipitation patterns and sludge treatment processes influence microplastic retention and the pathways by which sludge-borne microplastics enter agricultural soils upon land application.
An Overlooked Entry Pathway of Microplastics into Agricultural Soils from Application of Sludge-Based Fertilizers
Researchers analyzed sludge-based fertilizers applied to agricultural soils and found high microplastic concentrations (hundreds to thousands per kilogram of dry weight) that were transferred to soils after application, identifying this as an important but overlooked pathway for terrestrial microplastic contamination.
Microplastics and antibiotic resistance genes nexus in sewage sludge: impact of thermal hydrolysis process- anaerobic digestion
Researchers reviewed the interactions between microplastics, antibiotic resistance genes, and biofilm-embedded microbial communities in sewage sludge treatment processes. The study found that these contaminants persist through wastewater treatment including thermal hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion, posing environmental and public health risks when treated biosolids are applied to agricultural land.
Microplastics in Sewage Sludge: A review
This review examines the presence and fate of microplastics in sewage sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants, a topic that has received less attention than microplastics in the water treatment line. The study highlights that agricultural application of sewage sludge is a primary source of microplastic contamination in soils, and provides a comprehensive overview of detection methods, concentrations, and the environmental implications of sludge-borne microplastics.
Assessing emerging and priority micropollutants in sewage sludge: environmental insights and analytical approaches
Researchers reviewed the presence of emerging pollutants, including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals, in sewage sludge that is commonly applied to agricultural land. They found that current analytical methods are improving but still face challenges in detecting these contaminants at low concentrations in complex sludge samples. The study highlights the environmental risks of spreading pollutant-laden sludge on farmland and calls for better monitoring standards.
A bibliometric perspective on the occurrence and migration of microplastics in soils amended with sewage sludge
Researchers used bibliometric analysis to map the growing body of research on microplastics in soils that receive sewage sludge. The study suggests that applying sewage sludge to farmland introduces thousands to hundreds of thousands of microplastic particles per kilogram into the soil, with estimated annual accumulations reaching into the trillions of particles across China and Europe.
Impact of sewage sludge application on soil microplastic accumulation and nutrient levels: Analysis of 22 years of data from central UK farmland
Researchers analyzed a 22-year dataset from 5,323 fields in central UK to examine the relationship between repeated sewage sludge application and microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils, alongside changes in nutrient levels such as nitrogen and phosphorus. They found that microplastic concentrations increased with cumulative sludge applications while nutrients were taken up by crops, raising concerns about long-term plastic accumulation in farmland receiving sludge-derived fertilizers.
Sewage Sludge in Farmlands: A Gateway to Soil Microplastic Pollution?
Researchers analysed microplastic contamination in dewatered anaerobically digested sewage sludge and adjacent agricultural fields in the UK with varied sludge application histories, using fluorescence microscopy and FTIR/Raman spectroscopy to detect predominantly polyethylene, polyester, polypropylene, polystyrene, PVC, and polyamide particles.
A Quantitative Environmental Risk Assessment for Microplastics in Sewage Sludge Applied to Land
Researchers conducted a quantitative risk assessment of microplastics in sewage sludge applied to farmland and found that contamination levels frequently exceed safe thresholds for soil organisms. Even under realistic scenarios, the microplastic concentrations in sludge-amended soils were estimated to affect 15 to 18 percent of soil species. The study suggests that regulatory limits on microplastics in agricultural sludge should be urgently considered to protect soil ecosystems.
Microplastics in sewage sludge: Distribution, toxicity, identification methods, and engineered technologies
This review examines how microplastics accumulate in sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants, which then becomes a major pathway for spreading these particles into the environment. Researchers found that sludge can contain extremely high concentrations of microplastics, ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands of particles per kilogram. The study evaluates current detection methods and emerging technologies for removing microplastics from sludge before it is applied to agricultural land or disposed of.