Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Impact of Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastics on Aerobic Granular Sludge Structure and EPS Composition in Wastewater Treatment

Researchers investigated how PET microplastics affect the structure and function of aerobic granular sludge used in wastewater treatment. Higher microplastic concentrations led to changes in granule size, altered the composition of extracellular polymeric substances, and shifted microbial community structure. The findings suggest that microplastic contamination in wastewater could compromise the stability and efficiency of biological treatment processes.

2025 Water 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of polyether sulfone microplastics and bisphenol A on anaerobic granular sludge: Performance evaluation and microbial community characterization

This study found that polyether sulfone (PES) microplastics and bisphenol A (BPA) together disrupted the performance of anaerobic granular sludge in wastewater treatment, altering microbial communities and reducing organic matter removal efficiency. The results suggest that microplastics and plastic chemical additives entering wastewater treatment systems can impair the biological processes that clean the water.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of aerobic granular sludge under polyethylene microplastics stress: Physicochemical properties, decontamination performance, and microbial community

Researchers investigated the impact of polyethylene microplastics on aerobic granular sludge used in wastewater treatment. The study found that microplastics significantly disrupted sludge structure, settling properties, and enzyme activities related to denitrification and phosphorus removal, with increased reactive oxygen species and cell membrane damage at higher concentrations.

2022 Journal of Environmental Management 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of the concentration and type of microplastics on the treatment efficiency and biomass structure in aerobic granular sludge reactors

Researchers investigated how polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene microplastics at varying concentrations affect treatment efficiency, granule morphology, extracellular polymer production, microbial species composition, and metabolic activity in aerobic granular sludge reactors used for wastewater treatment. The study tested four hypotheses regarding MP effects on both the biological performance and structural integrity of aerobic granular sludge as a promising technology for MP-contaminated wastewater.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms underlying the detrimental impact of micro(nano)plastics on the stability of aerobic granular sludge: Interactions between micro(nano)plastics and extracellular polymeric substances

Researchers found that both micro- and nanoplastics at realistic concentrations harmed the performance of aerobic granular sludge, a technology used for wastewater treatment, by reducing its ability to remove nitrogen. The plastic particles interacted with the sticky substances that hold the sludge granules together, weakening their structural integrity. The study reveals a specific mechanism by which plastic pollution can undermine wastewater treatment systems that communities rely on for clean water.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate, characteristics, and potential threat of microplastics in sludge under various dewatering treatments

Researchers compared four different sludge dewatering treatments used at wastewater plants and examined how each process affected the microplastics trapped in the sludge. They found that advanced oxidation treatments altered the surface properties of the microplastics and increased their ability to absorb heavy metals. The findings raise concerns that certain sludge treatment methods could make microplastics more environmentally hazardous when the treated sludge is disposed of or reused.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of characteristics and microbial community of anaerobic granular sludge under microplastics and aromatic carboxylic acids exposure

Researchers exposed anaerobic granular sludge to polyether sulfone microplastics combined with aromatic carboxylic acids and found that both contaminants impaired sludge granule stability, reduced methane production, and shifted microbial community composition toward less efficient fermenters.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into the microbial response of anaerobic granular sludge during long-term exposure to polyethylene terephthalate microplastics

Researchers investigated how polyethylene terephthalate microplastics affect anaerobic granular sludge used in wastewater treatment over 84 days. The study found that at relatively low concentrations, PET microplastics had minimal impact, but at higher concentrations they disrupted the microbial community structure and reduced the efficiency of the anaerobic treatment process.

2020 Water Research 182 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024
Article Tier 2

Impact of phenolic-formaldehyde resin microplastics on anaerobic granular sludge: EPS interaction mechanisms and impacts on reactor performance

Researchers studied how microplastics made from phenolic-formaldehyde resin affect wastewater treatment systems that use anaerobic granular sludge. They found that smaller microplastic particles provided new surfaces for bacteria to grow on, initially boosting treatment performance, but over time the increased microbial activity weakened the structure of the sludge granules. The study reveals a trade-off where microplastics can temporarily improve wastewater processing while ultimately destabilizing the treatment system.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in granular sequencing batch reactors: Effects on pollutant removal dynamics and the microbial community

Researchers investigated how polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics affect pollutant removal in granular sludge wastewater treatment reactors. They found that microplastic type and concentration influenced nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic compound removal rates, with PET particles showing a stronger tendency to accumulate within the biomass. The study indicates that microplastic contamination in wastewater treatment systems may compromise treatment efficiency and alter microbial community dynamics.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on granular sludge: A review

This review examined how microplastics affect granular sludge properties and wastewater treatment efficiency in biological treatment systems, with wastewater plants considered major sinks for microplastics. The review found that harmful effects on granular characteristics are closely associated with microplastic size and concentration, summarizing how MPs disrupt granule formation and settleability.

2024 E3S Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Deciphering the inhibition mechanisms of microplastics on the full-stage sludge anaerobic digestion via enrichment to anaerobic microbes and toxicity of released compounds

This study found that microplastics in sewage sludge significantly interfere with the waste treatment process by reducing the activity of key microorganisms needed to break down waste. More than half of the negative effect came from toxic chemicals released when microplastic particles rub against sludge, and the disrupted treatment also increased the risk of spreading antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics in granular sludge systems: mechanisms of disruption, retention, and microbial adaptation in wastewater treatment technologies

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics disrupt the biological systems used to treat wastewater, focusing on granular sludge technologies. Plastic particles damage the microbial communities that break down waste by causing oxidative stress and breaking apart the protective structures that hold bacteria together. This matters because if wastewater treatment becomes less effective due to plastic contamination, more pollutants including microplastics could pass through into waterways that supply drinking water.

2025 Water Research X 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic analysis of performance, microbial community, and metabolism in aerobic granular sludge under polyacrylonitrile microplastics stress

Researchers found that low concentrations of polyacrylonitrile microplastics had minimal impact on aerobic granular sludge wastewater treatment, but 100 mg/L severely damaged granule structure and inhibited denitrification and membrane transport gene expression.

2023 Bioresource Technology 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Anaerobic granular sludge and biofilms in anaerobic wastewater fermentation remodeled by co-exposure to microplastics and antibiotics

Researchers compared how granular sludge and biofilm-based anaerobic digestion systems respond to combined microplastic and antibiotic stress, finding that prolonged dual exposure reduced methane production and led to different microbial adaptation strategies in each sludge type.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

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.

2024
Article Tier 2

Multiple microplastics induced stress on anaerobic granular sludge and an effectively overcoming strategy using hydrochar

Researchers investigated the effects of multiple types of microplastics simultaneously on anaerobic granular sludge used in wastewater treatment. The study found that combined microplastics caused significant stress on the sludge, reducing treatment efficiency, but that adding hydrochar effectively mitigated these negative effects and restored system performance.

2022 Water Research 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects and Fate of Microfibres on Wastewater Treatment: Insights into Treatment Performance, Microbiome Selection and Synergetic Impacts on Functional Organisms in Granular Sludge Reactors

Researchers examined the effects of polyester and denim microfibres on aerobic granular sludge reactors used in wastewater treatment, finding that fibre presence influences treatment performance, microbiome community composition, and the function of key organisms in the granular sludge. The findings reveal that textile microfibres reaching wastewater plants can have synergistic negative impacts on biological treatment processes.

2025
Article Tier 2

Impact of micro-nanoplastics on biochemical phases of anaerobic digestion in sewage sludge treatment: mechanistic insights and future prospects

Micro- and nanoplastics were found to disrupt the biochemical phases of anaerobic digestion, affecting the efficiency of the biological process used to treat organic waste. Understanding these impacts is important because anaerobic digestion is a common wastewater and sludge treatment method that may both receive and process microplastic-contaminated materials.

2025 International Journal of Theoretical and Applied Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The impacts of biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastic on the performance and microbial community characterization of aerobic granular sludge

Researchers compared the effects of biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics and non-biodegradable polyethylene microplastics on aerobic granular sludge used in wastewater treatment. They found that high concentrations of both types impaired the sludge's ability to remove organic pollutants, but both actually enhanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal at moderate levels. The study reveals that even biodegradable microplastics can disrupt wastewater treatment processes in unexpected ways.

2024 Frontiers in Microbiology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on substance transformation, sludge characteristics, toxicological effect, and microbial communities in different biochemical sludge systems: A review

This review synthesizes evidence that microplastics impair the biological and physical processes in wastewater treatment sludge systems, inhibiting nutrient removal, disrupting microbial communities, and degrading sludge structure—with smaller particles and higher concentrations causing greater damage. Because sludge is widely applied to agricultural land, any microplastic-driven impairment of treatment efficiency also increases the risk of plastic particles and associated pollutants reaching soils and food crops.

2023 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-occurrence of microplastics and triclosan inhibited nitrification function and enriched antibiotic resistance genes in nitrifying sludge

Researchers found that co-exposure to four types of microplastics (PE, PS, PVC, and PA) and the antimicrobial agent triclosan inhibited nitrification function and enriched antibiotic resistance genes in nitrifying sludge from wastewater treatment. The combined presence of microplastics and triclosan posed greater risk to biological wastewater treatment performance than either contaminant alone.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 110 citations