We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastic Pollution in Sewage Sludge from Wastewater Treatment Plants and Estimation of Microplastic Release
ClearSewage 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Microplastics in Sludges and Soils: A Comprehensive Review on Distribution, Characteristics, and Effects
This review summarizes research on microplastics in sewage sludge and soil, noting that when contaminated sludge is used as fertilizer, it turns farmland into a major reservoir for microplastic pollution. The accumulated microplastics can alter soil properties, harm soil organisms, and potentially enter crops and groundwater, creating pathways for human exposure through food and drinking water.
A comparative study on the distribution behavior of microplastics through FT-IR analysis on different land uses in agricultural soils
Researchers compared microplastic distribution in agricultural soils under different land uses, including soil mulching, plastic housing, and sewage sludge composting. Using FT-IR analysis, the study found that plastic particles smaller than 100 micrometers were present across all conditions, highlighting the widespread and persistent nature of microplastic contamination in agricultural environments.
Microplastics and microfibers in the sludge of a municipal wastewater treatment plant
Researchers monitored microplastics and synthetic microfibers in the sludge of a Spanish municipal wastewater treatment plant throughout 2015, identifying polypropylene, nylon, and polyamide among others using FTIR and differential scanning calorimetry, and noting that sludge applied as agricultural fertilizer could transfer these contaminants to crop soils.
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.
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.
Microplastics in sewage sludge: Captured but released?
This book chapter reviews how wastewater treatment plants capture microplastics from sewage but then release them back into the environment through the application of sewage sludge to agricultural land. Treating sewage sludge as a microplastic disposal route transfers the pollution problem from water to soil.
Investigation and analysis of microplastics in sewage sludge and biosolids: A case study from one wastewater treatment works in the UK
Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in sewage sludge and biosolids at a UK wastewater treatment plant and found significant quantities of microplastics persisting through the treatment process. Since millions of tonnes of biosolids are applied to farmland annually in the UK, this represents a major pathway for microplastic pollution entering agricultural soils. The study highlights the need for better monitoring and treatment methods to reduce microplastic transfer from wastewater to the terrestrial environment.
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.
Assessment of the Presence of Microplastics in Stabilized Sewage Sludge: Analysis Methods and Environmental Impact
Researchers measured microplastic levels in treated sewage sludge used to make agricultural fertilizer and found concentrations as high as 2,942 fragments per 100 grams of dry material. Low-density polyethylene fragments were the most common type detected, with the highest levels occurring during summer months. When this sludge-based fertilizer is applied to farmland, it could introduce thousands of microplastic particles per square meter of soil, raising concerns about long-term soil health.
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.
A method for the characterisation of microplastics in sludge
Researchers developed a method for detecting and characterizing microplastics in sewage sludge, which concentrates the majority of microplastics removed during wastewater treatment. This method is important because sludge is widely spread on agricultural land, making it a key pathway for microplastics entering soils.
Sewage sludge as a source of microplastics in the environment: A review of occurrence and fate during sludge treatment
This review assessed how wastewater treatment plants concentrate microplastics from influent into sludge, estimating that sewage sludge applied to agricultural land represents a major secondary pathway for MPs entering terrestrial ecosystems, with estimated releases of millions to billions of particles per hectare.
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.
Sewage Sludge-Mediated Microplastic Transfer to Agroecosystem: A Comprehensive Review on Detection, Fate and Ecological Impacts
This review study shows that tiny plastic particles called microplastics are getting into farm soil through sewage sludge that's used as fertilizer. When wastewater treatment plants process our sewage, they capture these plastic bits in the leftover sludge, which farmers then spread on their fields. This matters because these microplastics could potentially affect our food supply and soil health, but scientists still need more research to understand the full risks.
[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.
Wastewater treatment plant as microplastics release source – Quantification and identification techniques
This review examines wastewater treatment plants as sources of microplastic release into the environment, along with current methods for separating and identifying these particles. While conventional treatment plants remove over 90% of incoming microplastics, they remain major point sources due to the enormous volumes of effluent they discharge. The review also highlights that over 80% of microplastics entering treatment plants become trapped in sewage sludge, which when used as agricultural fertilizer represents a potential pathway for soil contamination.
Source, 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.
Variation in microplastic concentration, characteristics and distribution in sewage sludge & biosolids around the world
Researchers systematically reviewed 65 studies on microplastics in sewage sludge and biosolids from wastewater treatment plants around the world. They found that while treatment processes remove 57% to 99% of microplastics from wastewater, the removed particles concentrate in sludge that is often applied to agricultural land. The review highlights that land application of biosolids may be a significant, underappreciated pathway for microplastic pollution in 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.