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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Analysis of the potential role of microplastics as transporters of microorganisms in activated sludge
ClearWastewater treatment alters microbial colonization of microplastics
Analysis of microplastics and their biofilms across raw sewage, effluent, and sludge at two wastewater treatment plants found that >99% of influent MPs were retained in sludge, and that wastewater treatment substantially altered biofilm microbial composition, enriching bioflocculation-associated taxa.
The Effects of Microplastics on Floc Formation, Nutrient Removal and Settleability in Wastewater Treatment
Researchers investigated how microplastics affect floc formation, nutrient removal, and settleability in wastewater treatment systems, examining the mechanisms by which these ubiquitous anthropogenic pollutants entering via packaging, cosmetics, and other production sectors disrupt activated sludge processes.
The factors affecting bacterial colonisation on microplastics and the impact of tertiary treatment of wastewater on the attached bacteria and microplastics
This study examined the factors that influence bacterial colonization on microplastics and tested how tertiary wastewater treatment affects the bacteria and microplastics discharged from a treatment plant. Microplastic-associated biofilms in wastewater can carry harmful and antibiotic-resistant bacteria into receiving water bodies.
Different microbial assemblage colonized on microplastics and clay particles in aerobic sludge treatment
In an aerobic sludge treatment system, polystyrene microplastics (PSMPs) hosted more diverse and abundant bacterial communities than polypropylene MPs or natural clay particles, and each substrate type shaped its own distinct microbial niche. This matters because the unique microbiomes that form on plastic surfaces in wastewater systems may alter treatment efficiency and carry potentially harmful organisms into receiving environments.
Biofilm formation on microplastics in wastewater: insights into factors, diversity and inactivation strategies
This study investigated how bacteria form biofilms on different types of microplastics in wastewater, finding that polyethylene supported the most biofilm growth, especially in dark, warm, oxygen-rich conditions. The biofilms contained bacteria from groups that include potential human pathogens, and different plastic types supported different microbial communities. This matters because microplastics coated in bacterial biofilms could transport harmful microorganisms through water systems and into the environment.
Analytical methods for quantifying PS and PVC Nanoplastic attachment to activated sludge Bacteria and their impact on community structure
Researchers developed and evaluated analytical methods for quantifying the attachment of polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride nanoplastics to activated sludge bacteria, while also examining the impact of these nanoplastics on microbial community structure.
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.
Selective microbial attachment to LDPE plastic beads during passage through the wastewater network
Researchers tracked how microbial communities colonize plastic beads as they travel through different stages of a wastewater treatment plant. They found that distinct bacterial communities selectively attached to the plastic surfaces at each treatment stage, differing from the microbes in the surrounding water. The study reveals that microplastics passing through wastewater systems accumulate unique microbial hitchhikers that could carry pathogens or antibiotic-resistant bacteria into the environment.
Role of Microplastics as Attachment Media for the Growth of Microorganisms
Researchers reviewed how microplastics serve as attachment media for microbial growth, finding that biofilms forming on microplastic surfaces create unique microbial communities — including potential pathogens — that differ from those in surrounding environments.
Efficient removal of microplastic particles from wastewater through formation of heteroagglomerates during the activated sludge process
Microplastic particles were efficiently removed from wastewater using a novel treatment process, demonstrating high removal rates across different plastic sizes and polymer types. The technology contributes to the toolkit for preventing microplastic discharge from wastewater treatment plants into receiving waters.
Microbial Succession on Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Exploring the Complexities of Microplastic-Microbiome Interactions
This review examines how different microorganisms colonize microplastic surfaces in wastewater treatment plants, forming communities called biofilms that change as the treatment process progresses. These biofilms can include harmful bacteria and antibiotic-resistant organisms that ride on microplastics through the treatment process and into the environment. The findings are concerning because microplastics leaving treatment plants could carry disease-causing microbes into waterways used for drinking and recreation.
Circulation of microplastics in a municipal wastewater treatment plant with multiphase activated sludge
Researchers tracked the circulation of microplastics through a municipal wastewater treatment plant, from raw wastewater through sludge processing. They found that most microplastics accumulated in sewage sludge at high concentrations, and that leachate from sludge treatment recycled microplastics back into the treatment process. The study highlights how wastewater treatment plants can inadvertently redistribute microplastics rather than fully removing them from the waste stream.
Efficient removal of microplastic particles from wastewater through formation of heteroagglomerates during the activated sludge process
Researchers found that across diverse microplastic polymer types, shapes, and sizes, more than 90% of spiked microplastic particles were incorporated into activated sludge flocs within 15 minutes of aeration and mixing during the wastewater treatment process. The similar removal behavior across all MP variants was attributed to near-neutral zeta potentials in filtered wastewater, suggesting van der Waals forces drive heteroagglomerate formation regardless of microplastic properties.
Effects of microplastics on the properties of different types of sewage sludge and strategies to overcome the inhibition: A review
This review examined how microplastics trapped in sewage sludge during wastewater treatment affect sludge properties, microbial communities, and treatment efficiency, while discussing strategies to overcome microplastic-induced inhibition of sludge processing.
[Microplastics in wastewater treatment: current status and future trends].
This review summarizes current research on microplastic occurrence, removal, and fate in wastewater treatment plants, noting that while plants capture most microplastics in activated sludge, significant numbers still escape into effluent. The sludge itself then becomes a major pathway for microplastics to enter agricultural soils when applied as fertilizer. Future treatment improvements and sludge management policies are needed to reduce these release pathways.
Transport and fate of microplastic particles in wastewater treatment plants
Researchers tracked microplastic particles through multiple stages of a wastewater treatment plant, finding that particles were concentrated in sludge but that a fraction passed through each treatment stage and remained in the final effluent.
Role of Biofilms in the Degradation of Microplastics
This review examines the role of microbial biofilms in degrading microplastics, presenting insights into how microbial communities colonizing plastic surfaces may contribute to the breakdown of microplastic particles in aquatic and terrestrial environments.
Biofilm formation on polyethylene microplastics and their role as transfer vector of emerging organic pollutants
This study examined how bacteria form biofilms on polyethylene microplastics and whether those biofilms help transport organic pollutants like common pharmaceuticals and pesticides. Researchers found that the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa readily colonized microplastics, and the presence of contaminants in the water altered biofilm characteristics. The findings suggest that microplastics in waterways may act as carriers that help spread pharmaceutical and chemical pollutants through aquatic environments.
Behavior and flow of microplastics during sludge treatment in Japan
Sampling of two Osaka wastewater treatment plants found microplastics at every stage of the sludge treatment process, with 13 polymer types identified; concentration increased through dewatering, but the total MP load in final biosolids was lower than in raw sludge.
Occurrence of Microplastics in Waste Sludge of Wastewater Treatment Plants: Comparison between Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) and Conventional Activated Sludge (CAS) Technologies
Microplastics were compared in sludge from wastewater treatment plants using conventional activated sludge and membrane bioreactor technologies, finding that both produced sludge with significant plastic contamination and that the MBR system showed somewhat different microplastic profiles. The results indicate that sludge disposal is a key route by which microplastics captured in treatment plants are transferred to agricultural land.
Microplastic-associated biofilms in wastewater treatment plants: Mechanisms and impacts
This review examines how microplastics in wastewater treatment plants develop biofilms that fundamentally change the particles' behavior and environmental impact. Researchers found that biofilm formation on microplastics creates a paradox: it improves their removal by helping them settle faster, but the biofilms also serve as reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and pathogens. The findings highlight the need for treatment plant operators to consider biological transformations of microplastics, not just their physical removal.
Enhanced settling of microplastics after biofilm development: A laboratory column study mimicking wastewater clarifiers
Researchers found that biofilm development on microplastics significantly enhances their settling velocity in laboratory columns mimicking wastewater clarifiers, suggesting that biological fouling is an important mechanism for microplastic removal during wastewater treatment and sedimentation in water bodies.
Role of extracellular polymeric substances in the acute inhibition of activated sludge by polystyrene nanoparticles
Researchers investigated how extracellular polymeric substances — the sticky biofilm matrix produced by bacteria — affected the acute inhibition of activated sludge by microplastics, finding that these substances played a protective role by reducing microplastic toxicity in wastewater treatment systems.
The Importance of Biofilms to the Fate and Effects of Microplastics
This review examines how biofilms — communities of microorganisms that form on microplastic surfaces — affect the fate and ecological effects of plastic pollution. Biofilm formation alters how microplastics are transported, ingested, and degraded in the environment, and the plastisphere can harbor pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria that may pose risks to human health.