Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Sustainable removal of contaminants of emerging concern from wastewater by the living membrane bioreactor: effect of the co-occurrence of microplastics and antibiotics

Researchers investigated a living membrane bioreactor (LMBR) for removing the antibiotic ofloxacin and oxidized polyethylene microplastics from urban wastewater, finding that the biological membrane effectively retained both contaminants of emerging concern and that microplastics acted as antibiotic carriers, with their co-presence influencing overall removal efficiency.

2025 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Removal of microplastics from wastewater through electrocoagulation-electroflotation and membrane filtration processes

Researchers investigated electrocoagulation-electroflotation and membrane filtration for removing microplastics from wastewater, finding that combining these processes effectively recovers microplastic particles from treatment plant effluent.

2021 Water Science & Technology 149 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing Microplastics Removal from Wastewater Using Electro-Coagulation and Granule-Activated Carbon with Thermal Regeneration

Combining electrocoagulation with granular activated carbon treatment significantly improved microplastic removal from wastewater compared to standard treatment, achieving removal efficiencies above 95% and offering a feasible enhancement for sewage treatment plants.

2021 Processes 88 citations
Article Tier 2

The exploitation of bio-electrochemical system and microplastics removal: Possibilities and perspectives

This review explores bio-electrochemical systems as a sustainable alternative for removing microplastics from water, since current removal methods are costly, energy-intensive, and can release toxic chemicals. Bio-electrochemical systems use microorganisms to generate electricity while simultaneously treating wastewater, offering a cleaner approach. Though still in early research stages, this technology could provide an efficient and environmentally friendly way to reduce microplastic contamination in water supplies.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Electrochemically Coupled Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor Facilitates Remediation of Microplastic-Containing Wastewater

Researchers tested an electrochemically coupled anaerobic membrane bioreactor for treating microplastic-containing wastewater and found that electrical stimulation effectively counteracted the inhibitory effects of microplastics on microbial metabolism. The system improved methane production, microbial viability, and enzyme activity compared to conventional anaerobic treatment in the presence of microplastics. The study suggests that combining electrochemical and biological approaches could improve both wastewater treatment efficiency and energy recovery when microplastics are present.

2024 Water 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative evaluation of activated sludge and electrocoagulation for microplastics removal from sewage

Researchers compared conventional activated sludge treatment and electrocoagulation for microplastic removal from sewage in Egypt, finding that activated sludge achieved 83% removal while subsequent electrocoagulation treatment raised overall removal to over 91%, with polyethylene and polypropylene confirmed as the dominant polymer types in both influent and effluent.

2026 Scientific Reports
Article Tier 2

Utilizing Electrosorptionfor Efficient Removal ofPolyethylene Microplastics from Water: Critical Factors and MechanisticInsights

An electrosorption method was developed to remove polyethylene microplastics from wastewater, demonstrating improved removal efficiency compared to conventional treatment, especially for smaller particles that typically escape standard wastewater treatment plants.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the impact of innovative algae- based membrane bioreactors against the emerging microplastic crisisin combating water pollution

This study evaluated algae-based membrane bioreactors for removing microplastics and other emerging contaminants from wastewater, finding that combining algal biomass with membrane filtration improved MP removal efficiency compared to conventional biological treatment alone.

2025
Article Tier 2

Treatment of electroplating wastewater using electrocoagulation and integrated membrane

This study developed an electrocoagulation and membrane filtration system that removes over 99% of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. While not directly about microplastics, the technology is relevant because microplastics in water often carry heavy metals that can leach into drinking water. Improved industrial wastewater treatment reduces the overall toxic burden in water systems that people depend on.

2024 Water Science & Technology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Microplastics from Wastewater by Methods of Electrocoagulation and Adsorption

This review examines electrocoagulation and adsorption methods for removing microplastics from wastewater, comparing them against conventional physical, chemical, and biological approaches in terms of removal efficiency, cost, and practical scalability.

2025 Journal of Water Chemistry and Technology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioelectrochemical anaerobic digestion mitigates microplastic pollution and promotes methane recovery of wastewater treatment in biofilm system

Researchers found that bioelectrochemical systems can simultaneously break down microplastics in wastewater and recover methane gas for energy. The systems enhanced the degradation of polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride particles while maintaining healthy biofilm communities on the electrodes. The study suggests that combining electrochemistry with biological treatment could offer a practical approach to both microplastic removal and renewable energy recovery from wastewater.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Preventing Microplastic Release into Oceans through Wastewater Treatment Technologies.

Comparing immersed and sidestream membrane bioreactors for microplastic removal from wastewater, this analysis found membrane bioreactors more efficient than conventional treatment, identifying them as a key technology to prevent microplastic release to oceans.

2024 Science and Technology of Engineering Chemistry and Environmental Protection
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, identification and removal of microplastics in a wastewater treatment plant compared to an advanced MBR technology: Full-scale pilot plant

Researchers compared microplastic removal efficiency between a standard wastewater treatment plant and an advanced membrane bioreactor (MBR) system and found MBR technology achieved 99.7% removal — far outperforming conventional treatment — suggesting upgraded filtration systems are critical to keeping microplastics out of waterways.

2023 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 80 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative Analysis of Electrochemical Oxidation and Biodegradation for Microplastic Removal in Wastewater

Researchers compared electrochemical oxidation and biodegradation for removing polystyrene microplastics from wastewater, finding that electrochemical oxidation achieved superior removal efficiency and could serve as a more effective treatment pathway at wastewater treatment plants.

2025 Applied and Computational Engineering
Article Tier 2

Electrocoagulation as a Possible Treatment for Wastewater Contaminated with Microplastics - A Review

This review examined electrocoagulation and hybrid membrane technologies as innovative approaches for removing microplastics from wastewater, noting that MPs are omnipresent pollutants capable of biomagnification. The review covered the effectiveness of electrochemical processes, advanced oxidation, and membrane filtration systems including their combination for enhanced microplastic removal.

2024 BIO Web of Conferences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Review and future outlook for the removal of microplastics by physical, biological and chemical methods in water bodies and wastewaters

This review compares physical, biological, and chemical methods for removing microplastics from water and wastewater, including newer approaches like advanced membranes, bacterial degradation, and electrochemical treatment. Each method has trade-offs between removal efficiency, cost, and environmental impact, and no single technique currently solves the problem completely. The review emphasizes that developing effective microplastic removal technology is urgent for protecting both ecosystems and human drinking water supplies.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics removal mechanisms in wastewater treatment plants: A review

This review examines how conventional wastewater treatment plants remove micro- and nanoplastics, and evaluates advanced technologies like membrane filtration and electrocoagulation that could improve removal rates. While existing treatment plants can capture most microplastics, they still release significant quantities into waterways through their enormous discharge volumes. The study highlights that biological treatment steps may also transform microplastics in potentially harmful ways that need further investigation.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 88 citations
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive review of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants

This review surveys microplastic removal technologies used in wastewater treatment plants, comparing membrane bioreactors, electrocoagulation, coagulation-sedimentation, and biodegradation approaches. Understanding removal efficiency at treatment plants is critical because they are a primary pathway by which microplastics — and the toxic chemicals they carry — reach rivers, coastal waters, and ultimately drinking water supplies.

2024 BIO Web of Conferences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochemical insights into the alleviated inhibition on nitrogen metabolism by micro-and nano-plastics at the biocathode of bioelectrochemical systems

A lab study investigated how microplastics and nanoplastics inhibit nitrogen removal (denitrification) at the biological cathode of a bioelectrochemical treatment system, and found that adding algal biochar largely reversed this inhibition, increasing nitrate removal from 51% to 76%. This is relevant for wastewater treatment, suggesting that biochar amendments could protect microbial treatment processes from the disrupting effects of microplastic contamination in sewage.

2026 Bioresource Technology
Article Tier 2

Evaluating Microplastic Effects on Performance and Electrochemistry of Microbial Fuel Cells for Wastewater Treatment

Researchers evaluated how microplastics affect the performance of microbial fuel cells used for wastewater treatment. They found that low concentrations of microplastics actually improved chemical oxygen demand reduction and power production compared to wastewater without microplastics. However, at higher concentrations the beneficial effects diminished, suggesting that microplastic levels in wastewater could influence the efficiency of bioelectrochemical treatment systems.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Toxic and Radioactive Waste 2 citations