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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Plastic waste management in recycling facilities: Intentionally generated MPs as an emerging contaminant
ClearMechanical recycling of plastic waste as a point source of microplastic pollution
Researchers found that mechanical recycling of plastic waste is a significant point source of microplastic pollution, releasing plastic fragments into wastewater during washing, shredding, and processing stages of the recycling chain.
Ignored microplastic sources from plastic bottle recycling
Researchers measured microplastic generation and fate in three facilities that recycle post-consumer PET bottles into flakes, finding microplastic concentrations in production wastewater ranging from 23 to 1,836 milligrams per liter. Overall wastewater removal ranged from 53% to 99.6% by mass, with the remainder concentrated in sludge, revealing plastic recycling facilities as a poorly recognized source of microplastic pollution.
Microplastics in municipal wastewater treatment plants in Turkey: a comparison of the influent and secondary effluent concentrations
Microplastics were detected in both influent and secondary effluent at two wastewater treatment plants in Turkey, with fibers as the predominant type in both streams. The study confirms that Turkish wastewater systems discharge substantial numbers of microplastic particles into receiving waters, consistent with findings from other countries.
Microplastics Identification in Plastic Recycling Facility: Removal Efficiencies of the Treatment Plants and Its Potential Release to the Environment
A plastic recycling facility in Indonesia was found to release significant quantities of microplastics into its wastewater, with nearly 500 particles per liter entering the treatment system and smaller fragments persisting even after treatment. The findings highlight that recycling operations — often considered part of the solution to plastic waste — can themselves be a meaningful source of microplastic pollution in local waterways.
A review of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants in Türkiye: Characteristics, removal efficiency, mitigation strategies for microplastic pollution and future perspective
This review comprehensively examines microplastic pollution in wastewater treatment plants across Turkiye, analyzing their characteristics, abundance, and removal efficiency. Researchers found that while treatment plants remove a significant portion of microplastics, effluent discharge still represents an important source of microplastic contamination to aquatic environments.
Potential contamination of microplastic from plastic recycling enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Researchers found that plastic recycling plants in Ho Chi Minh City release significant concentrations of microplastics through their wastewater and sludge, with thousands of particles per liter in effluent, identifying recycling facilities as an underrecognized continuous source of microplastic pollution.
Evaluating the generation of microplastics from an unlikely source: The unintentional consequence of the current plastic recycling process
This study revealed that the plastic recycling process itself generates large quantities of microplastics, particularly during the mechanical shredding step. Depending on the plastic type, shredding produced between 7,000 and 29,000 microplastic particles per kilogram of material processed, and weathered plastics generated even more. This is an important finding because it means recycling, which is intended to reduce plastic pollution, may actually be creating a significant new source of microplastic contamination.
Global discharge of microplastics from mechanical recycling of plastic waste
Researchers found that the mechanical recycling process for plastics actually generates significant amounts of new microplastics, with global emissions from recycling projected to grow from 0.017 million tonnes in 2000 to 0.749 million tonnes by 2060. While recycling accounted for about 3.1% of total microplastic emissions in 2017, this share could grow as recycling increases. The study highlights an important paradox: efforts to reduce plastic waste through recycling can themselves contribute to microplastic pollution unless wastewater treatment at recycling facilities is improved.
Microplastic emission trends in Turkish primary and secondary municipal wastewater treatment plant effluents discharged into the Sea of Marmara and Black Sea
Researchers tracked microplastic emission trends from Turkish primary and secondary municipal wastewater treatment plant effluents, finding that while treatment reduces MP concentrations, significant quantities are still discharged into receiving water bodies.
The potential for a plastic recycling facility to release microplastic pollution and possible filtration remediation effectiveness
Researchers conducted a pilot study at a mixed plastics recycling facility in the UK and found that raw wash water contained extremely high concentrations of microplastic particles. They tested filtration systems and found that while most particles larger than 5 micrometers were successfully removed, smaller particles still passed through. The study highlights that recycling facilities themselves can be significant point sources of microplastic pollution to waterways if proper filtration is not in place.
Occurrence, identification, and discharge of microplastics from effluent and sludge of the largest WWTP in Iran—South of Tehran
Researchers quantified microplastics in Iran's largest wastewater treatment plant and found significant concentrations in both effluent and sludge, identifying the facility as a pathway for microplastic release into the environment despite treatment processes.
Microplastic pollution is widely detected in US municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent
Researchers conducted a wide survey of US municipal wastewater treatment plants and found microplastics widely present in effluent, confirming that conventional treatment does not fully remove microplastics and that treatment plants are ongoing sources of environmental contamination.
Microplastics in an industrial zone wastewater treatment plant: Characterization, fate, and risk assessment
Most studies on microplastics in wastewater treatment plants focus on municipal sewage, but this study examined an industrial-zone treatment plant serving textile, plastics recycling, and furniture sectors in Turkey. Microplastics were found throughout the system, with sludge containing the highest concentrations (3,734 particles/L), and even after treatment, nearly 1.5 billion microplastic particles were discharged into a river each day — a river that feeds agricultural irrigation. The findings show that conventional wastewater treatment is insufficient for industrial effluents, and that tertiary filtration is needed to prevent significant plastic contamination of soils and waterways.
Occurrence and characteristics of microplastic in different types of industrial wastewater and sludge: A potential threat of emerging pollutants to the freshwater of Bangladesh
Researchers documented the first evidence of microplastic contamination in industrial wastewater and sludge from five industry types in Bangladesh, finding concentrations of 293-2713 MPs/L in wastewater and 115,878 MPs/kg in sludge. Existing treatment plants removed only about 62% of MPs, with nylon, cellulose acetate, and polystyrene fibers being the most common types.
Quantification of microplastics in wastewater systems of German industrial parks and their wastewater treatment plants
Researchers provided one of the first assessments of microplastic occurrence in German industrial park wastewater systems, quantifying microplastic distribution across production plant effluents and treatment plant stages to understand industrial contributions to aquatic pollution.
"mi̇kroplasti̇k Atiklarin Neden Olduğu Makro Problemler: Sürdürülebi̇li̇r Yöneti̇m Yaklaşimi"
This Turkish-language review (with an English abstract) provides an overview of microplastic pollution as an emerging global environmental and human health problem, covering sources, distribution, and the need for sustainable management strategies including recycling and reducing single-use plastics. While primarily a summary of existing evidence, it emphasizes that regulatory action is urgently needed to tackle the scale of microplastic contamination across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems.
Identifikasi Mikroplastik Sampel Sedimen di Outlet Limbah Pabrik Daur Ulang Plastik Sidoarjo dan Mojokerto
This companion Indonesian study found microplastic contamination in river sediments near plastic recycling factory discharge points in Sidoarjo and Mojokerto. The results suggest that even well-intentioned plastic recycling operations can release microplastics into the environment without proper waste controls.
Microplastic Abundance and Distribution in a Wastewater Treatment Plant in Bangladesh
Researchers investigated the abundance and distribution of microplastics in the Pagla Sewage Water Treatment Plant in Bangladesh, examining influent, effluent, and sludge to assess the facility as a potential source of microplastic pollution across multiple environmental compartments. The study found microplastics present throughout the treatment process, highlighting wastewater treatment plants as under-studied vectors of microplastic dispersal.
Microplastics composition and load from three wastewater treatment plants discharging into Mersin Bay, north eastern Mediterranean Sea
Three wastewater treatment plants discharging into Mersin Bay in the northeastern Mediterranean were found to release significant loads of microplastics into coastal waters, with fibers and fragments as the dominant forms. The study quantifies WWTPs as a measurable source of ongoing microplastic input to Mediterranean marine ecosystems.
Characteristics and seasonal variation of microplastics in the wastewater treatment plant: The case of Bursa deep sea discharge
Researchers monitored microplastic characteristics and seasonal variation in wastewater and sludge from a treatment plant in Bursa-Gemlik, Turkey over 12 months, finding that the plant is a significant point source of microplastic release into the sea with seasonal fluctuations in abundance and composition.
New Insights into Microplastic Contamination in Different Types of Leachates: Abundances, Characteristics, and Potential Sources
Researchers examined microplastic contamination in leachates from different types of municipal solid waste disposal facilities, moving beyond the typical focus on landfill leachate alone. The study found varying abundances and characteristics of microplastics across leachate types, identifying waste processing as a significant source of microplastic release into the environment.
An ignored potential microplastic contamination of a typical waste glass recycling base
Researchers found that a typical waste glass recycling facility is an overlooked source of microplastic contamination, releasing plastic particles into the surrounding environment through its operations.
Identifikasi Mikroplastik pada Air Sungai Akibat Limbah Pabrik Daur Ulang Plastik di Sidoarjo dan Mojokerto
This Indonesian study identified microplastic contamination in river water near plastic recycling factories in Sidoarjo and Mojokerto. The findings show that plastic recycling facilities can themselves be sources of microplastic pollution, releasing particles into nearby waterways during processing.
Biomass formation and organic carbon migration potential of microplastics from a PET recycling plant: Implication of biostability
PET microplastics from a recycling plant promoted bacterial growth in freshwater, with particles smaller than 100 microns supporting up to 1.05 x 10^9 bacteria per gram and shifting microbial diversity by favoring Burkholderiaceae, highlighting pollution risks from the mechanical PET recycling industry.