Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Insights into the impact of polyethylene microplastics on methane recovery from wastewater via bioelectrochemical anaerobic digestion

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics inhibited methane recovery in bioelectrochemical anaerobic digestion systems by disrupting microbial communities and electrochemical performance, though low concentrations had less severe effects.

2022 Water Research 84 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

Electric stimulation mitigated the mixed microplastic inhibition to anaerobic digestion during wastewater treatment

Researchers found that a mixture of common microplastics significantly inhibited methane production and pollutant removal during anaerobic wastewater treatment. By applying a mild electrical current through a process called microbial electrosynthesis, they were able to partially restore the system's performance by boosting microbial activity and electron transfer. The study suggests that electrical stimulation could be a practical tool for maintaining wastewater treatment efficiency in the presence of microplastic contamination.

2024 Environmental Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioelectrochemistry promotes microbial activity and accelerates wastewater methanogenesis in anaerobic digestion under combined exposure to antibiotics and microplastics

Researchers tested a bioelectrochemical system for treating wastewater contaminated with both antibiotics and microplastics, achieving 14% better treatment efficiency and methane recovery than standard methods. The electrical stimulation helped beneficial microbes thrive despite the pollutants, though it also increased some antibiotic resistance genes. This study is relevant because it addresses a real-world challenge of treating water containing multiple contaminants, including microplastics, before it reaches the environment.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of single and hybrid microplastic exposures on anaerobic sludge in microbial electrochemical technology (MET)

Researchers studied how single and mixed types of microplastics affect wastewater treatment performance in microbial electrochemical systems. They found that microplastics significantly impaired methane production, reduced pollutant removal efficiency, and increased oxidative stress in microbial communities, with PVC causing the strongest inhibition. Mixed microplastic exposure under electrical stimulation caused even greater disruption to key microbial populations involved in wastewater treatment.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 1 citations
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
Article Tier 2

Using dual chamber microbial fuel cells for coupled microplastic biodegradation and bioelectricity production: assessing the effect of substrate

Researchers investigated using dual-chamber microbial fuel cells to simultaneously biodegrade PET microplastics and generate bioelectricity. The study found that microbial consortia in the fuel cell setup could break down microplastics while producing usable electrical energy, offering a potentially sustainable approach to microplastic remediation in wastewater treatment.

2026 Microbial Cell Factories
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

Single-chamber differs from dual-chamber bioelectrochemical systems in wastewater treatment and methane recovery under combined exposure to microplastics and antibiotics

This study compared how single-chamber and dual-chamber bioelectrochemical systems perform when treating wastewater contaminated with both microplastics and antibiotics. Single-chamber systems significantly enhanced methane production by over 21% compared to conventional treatment, while dual-chamber systems struggled due to ammonia buildup. The research found that microplastic and antibiotic contamination dramatically altered microbial communities, highlighting the complex challenges of treating polluted wastewater.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable control of microplastics in wastewater using the electrochemically enhanced living membrane bioreactor

Researchers evaluated a novel living membrane bioreactor for removing polyethylene microplastics from wastewater and found it achieved 95% removal, comparable to conventional membrane bioreactors. Adding an electrochemical enhancement slightly decreased microplastic mass removal but significantly improved the consistency of nutrient removal even in the presence of microplastics. The study suggests that electrochemically enhanced living membrane systems offer a sustainable approach to simultaneous microplastic and conventional pollutant removal in wastewater treatment.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Revealing the Mechanisms of Polyethylene Microplastics Affecting Anaerobic Digestion of Waste Activated Sludge

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge, a common wastewater treatment process. They found that higher concentrations of microplastics significantly reduced methane production by disrupting microbial communities and enzyme activities essential for digestion. The study reveals that microplastic contamination in wastewater systems can undermine the efficiency of sludge treatment and biogas generation.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 351 citations
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

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

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

Succession of bacterial community during electroactive methanogenic biofilm development under microplastic manipulation

Researchers studied how PET microplastics affect the formation and function of methane-producing biofilms used in waste-to-energy systems. The study found that microplastic exposure reduced the proportion of living cells in the biofilm and shifted the microbial community composition, ultimately decreasing methane production efficiency.

2024 Chemical Engineering Journal 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the influence of polystyrene microplastics in wastewater on anode biofilm viability and electron transfer in microbial fuel cells performance

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics in wastewater reduce the electricity-generating ability of microbial fuel cells — devices that use bacteria to turn waste into power — by disrupting the bacterial biofilms that transfer electrons to electrodes. Carbon-based electrodes were more resistant to microplastic interference than metal ones, suggesting material choice matters when designing systems treating microplastic-contaminated water.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe 3 citations
Article Tier 2

New Advances in Bioelectrochemical Systems in the Degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Source, Degradation Pathway, and Microbial Community

This review examined how bioelectrochemical systems can degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, persistent pollutants found alongside microplastics in contaminated environments. Researchers found that these systems combine biological metabolism with electrochemical processes to break down pollutants while recovering energy. The study highlights an emerging technology that could simultaneously address multiple types of environmental contamination.

2025 Energies 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Systematic study of microplastics on methane production in anaerobic digestion: Performance and microbial response

Microplastics are increasingly found in wastewater treatment systems, and this study systematically examined how different types, concentrations, and sizes of microplastics affect the anaerobic digestion process used to break down sewage sludge and generate biogas. Polyethylene microplastics were found to inhibit methane production, with finer particles and higher concentrations causing greater disruption to the microbial communities driving digestion. The findings matter because microplastics in sewage sludge can impair the treatment process and also end up spread on agricultural land when sludge is used as fertilizer.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Electrochemical and microbiological response of exoelectrogenic biofilm to polyethylene microplastics in water

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics impaired exoelectrogenic biofilms used in microbial electrochemical water treatment by reducing electroactive bacteria abundance, suppressing electron transfer genes, and increasing system resistance.

2022 Water Research 97 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging electrochemical tools for microplastics remediation and sensing

This review examines emerging electrochemical approaches for both detecting and remediating microplastics in the environment, highlighting their advantages over traditional methods and identifying key challenges and opportunities for developing practical electrochemical tools to address microplastic pollution.

2022 Frontiers in Sensors 29 citations