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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics in Estonian wastewater treatment plants: First evaluation of baseline concentrations and stage-wise removal efficiency
ClearMicroplastics in Influents and Effluents of Estonian Wastewater Treatment Plants
This Estonian study is the first systematic investigation of microplastic concentrations in both the influent and effluent of Estonian wastewater treatment plants, using continuous filtration sampling and FTIR spectroscopy. The research establishes baseline data for microplastic removal efficiency in Baltic state wastewater infrastructure, documenting how treatment reduces but does not eliminate microplastic discharge.
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.
Characteristics and removal efficiency of microplastics at secondary wastewater treatment plant in Lithuania
A three-month study at a Lithuanian secondary wastewater treatment plant found microplastics at every stage of treatment, with the plant removing a substantial portion but still releasing significant quantities to the environment. Fiber was the most common shape, and the data help fill a geographic gap for northeastern Europe, where microplastic monitoring in wastewater systems has been limited.
Microplastic removal efficiency and polymer characterization in coastal wastewater treatment plants using FTIR spectroscopy
Researchers assessed microplastic concentrations and removal efficiencies at four wastewater treatment plants along the U.S. Gulf Coast, finding that influent contained an average of 3,472 particles per cubic meter while effluent contained 1,372. PET and polystyrene were the most abundant polymers, and plants with advanced filtration or lagoon-wetland systems achieved over 80% removal of these denser plastics, while lighter polymers like polyethylene were harder to capture. Seasonal patterns showed weaker removal during winter months.
Do wastewater treatment plants act as a potential point source of microplastics? Preliminary study in the coastal Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea
A study at a Finnish wastewater treatment plant found that although influent microplastic concentrations were high, treatment processes removed the vast majority — but a meaningful fraction still passed through in the effluent. The results confirm that even well-run treatment plants cannot fully prevent microplastic discharge to receiving water bodies.
Microplastic in Danish wastewater: Sources, occurrences and fate
Researchers evaluated the role of Danish wastewater treatment plants in microplastic emissions by analyzing samples from 10 WWTPs, associated sludge, and farmland soils using FTIR imaging, identifying the amounts, polymer types, and potential sources of microplastics entering the environment.
Microplastics in the effluent of a German wastewater treatment plant ‒ analysis with μ-FTIR spectroscopy
A German wastewater treatment plant was found to release microplastics in its treated effluent, with fibers as the dominant type. The study used detailed chemical characterization and identified wastewater plants as ongoing point sources of microplastic pollution entering aquatic environments.
Microplastic Monitoring at Different Stages in a Wastewater Treatment Plant Using Reflectance Micro-FTIR Imaging
Researchers used reflectance micro-FTIR imaging to monitor microplastic presence at multiple treatment stages within a wastewater treatment plant, addressing the challenge of analyzing MPs in biogenic organic matter-rich matrices. The study mapped how microplastic identity, abundance, and size distribution changed through primary and secondary treatment, providing insight into WWTP contributions to aquatic microplastic pollution.
Microplastiche: classificazione, identificazione e rimozione all'interno degli impianti di trattamento delle acque reflue
This Italian-language paper reviews how microplastics are classified, identified using techniques like FTIR spectroscopy, and removed in wastewater treatment plants. Conventional treatment plants remove a substantial portion of microplastics but still allow many particles to pass through into the environment. The review calls for better treatment technologies and standardized methods to assess microplastic removal efficiency.
Spectroscopic analysis of microplastic contaminants in an urban wastewater treatment plant from Seoul, South Korea
Researchers performed systematic multi-spectroscopic analysis of microplastics at influent and effluent stages of a metropolitan wastewater treatment plant in Seoul, South Korea, using FTIR and microscopic methods to characterize MP type, size, and polymer composition. The study quantified treatment efficiency for MP removal and identified the dominant polymer types entering and leaving the WWTP, informing efforts to reduce microplastic discharge to urban waterways.
Quantification of microplastic mass and removal rates at wastewater treatment plants applying Focal Plane Array (FPA)-based Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) imaging
This study quantified microplastic mass and calculated removal rates at wastewater treatment plants, finding that while plants remove a large proportion of incoming microplastics, the residual discharge still represents a substantial ongoing input to receiving water bodies.
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.
Distribution of Microplastics in Domestic Wastewater and Microplastics Removal Potential in Wastewater Treatment Plants
Researchers examined the distribution of microplastics in domestic wastewater in Indonesia and assessed the microplastic removal potential of wastewater treatment plants, using digestion, vacuum filtration, and microscopy to identify microplastics by concentration, shape, size, and color across treatment stages.
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.
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.
Evaluation of microplastics removal efficiency at a wastewater treatment plant discharging to the Sea of Marmara
Researchers tracked microplastics through all compartments of a secondary wastewater treatment plant in Istanbul, finding that the plant removed about 86% of incoming microplastics but still discharged a substantial number to the Sea of Marmara, with fibers as the dominant form.
Microplastics in different water samples (seawater, freshwater, and wastewater): Methodology approach for characterization using micro-FTIR spectroscopy
Researchers developed a standardized methodology for detecting and characterizing small microplastics (10-500 micrometers) in different water types using micro-FTIR spectroscopy. The study tested various sample preparation approaches for seawater, freshwater, and wastewater, establishing reliable protocols for rinsing, digestion, and microplastic collection that can be used to assess treatment plant removal efficiency.
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.
Microplastics in two German wastewater treatment plants: Year-long effluent analysis with FTIR and Py-GC/MS
Researchers analyzed microplastics in the effluents of two German wastewater treatment plants monthly over one year, revealing temporal variations in microplastic concentrations and polymer compositions entering receiving river systems.
Research progress on microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: A holistic review
This review provides a holistic assessment of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants, covering sampling methods, occurrence patterns across treatment stages, removal efficiencies, and the environmental risks posed by microplastic discharge through effluent and sludge.
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.
Detection of microplastic traces in four different types of municipal wastewater treatment plants through FT-IR and TED-GC-MS
Researchers detected microplastic traces in four different types of municipal wastewater treatment plants using FT-IR and TED-GC-MS, finding that while treatment processes removed most microplastics, some were still released into receiving water bodies.
Microplastics monitoring in different environments: separation, physicochemical characterization, and quantification
Researchers systematically monitored microplastic contamination across multiple environments including a wastewater treatment plant, surrounding water bodies, and soils near plastic factories, characterizing shape, size, color, and polymer composition via microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. They found fragments and fibers to be the most common microplastic shapes in water environments and documented simultaneous contamination across all sampled matrices.
Influence of different Wastewater Treatment Processes on the rate and characteristics of MPs released from WWTPs in Fiji, South Pacific
Researchers analyzed and compared the treatment methods and fate of microplastics in the two main wastewater treatment plants in Fiji — the Kinoya WWTP with secondary clarification and a second facility — to assess whether WWTP effluents represent a significant source of microplastic pollution in the South Pacific region. The study characterized microplastic rates and properties in effluents across different treatment processes to evaluate removal effectiveness.