Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Sewage Derived Microplastic and Anthropogenic Fibre Retention by Integrated Constructed Wetlands

Integrated constructed wetlands were evaluated as a low-cost treatment option for capturing microplastics and anthropogenic fibers from small wastewater treatment plant effluents, offering a promising mitigation strategy where conventional treatment is too expensive.

2024 Water Air & Soil Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics profile in constructed wetlands: Distribution, retention and implications

This study assessed microplastic distribution, retention, and implications within constructed wetlands used for wastewater treatment, finding that wetlands trap substantial quantities of MPs but that retention efficiency varies by plant species and wetland design. The results suggest constructed wetlands both remove and potentially accumulate MPs as a secondary pollution source.

2022 Environmental Pollution 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics occurrence and fate in full-scale treatment wetlands

Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence and fate across full-scale treatment wetlands, finding that constructed wetlands effectively remove a significant proportion of MPs from wastewater but that removal efficiency varies with wetland design and MP characteristics.

2023 Water Research 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Retention of microplastics by interspersed lagoons in both natural and constructed wetlands

Researchers used laboratory wetland models to test how well constructed wetlands with interspersed lagoons and aquatic vegetation can capture microplastic particles from water. Combining vegetated patches with a lagoon achieved microplastic retention rates of up to 99%, suggesting that nature-based wetland designs could be an effective low-cost strategy for filtering microplastics out of wastewater and rivers before they reach the ocean.

2023 Journal of Water Process Engineering 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Identification in Domestic Wastewater-Treating Constructed Wetlands and Its Potential Usage in a Circular Economy

Researchers identified and characterized microplastics in constructed wetlands used for treating domestic wastewater, finding MP accumulation in the substrate and plants and assessing how well these nature-based treatment systems retain plastic particles before effluent is discharged.

2025 Processes
Article Tier 2

Microplastic dynamics in a free water surface constructed wetland

A constructed wetland receiving secondary-treated wastewater was found to retain approximately 95% of incoming microplastics, with most capture occurring in the first 20% of the wetland length. The dominant incoming particles were synthetic fibers of 100-1000 micrometers, and the study provided quantitative data on wetland performance as a microplastic sink.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 52 citations
Article Tier 2

The fate of microplastics from municipal wastewater in a surface flow treatment wetland

Researchers investigated microplastic retention in a full-scale surface flow treatment wetland receiving municipal wastewater, measuring microplastic concentrations in inflow, outflow, and atmospheric deposition, and finding significant retention within the wetland. Treatment wetlands represent a potential nature-based solution for reducing microplastic discharge to receiving water bodies.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and removal of microplastics in a horizontal sub-surface flow laboratory constructed wetland and their effects on the treatment efficiency

Researchers investigated microplastic retention in a laboratory-scale constructed wetland, finding that the wetland effectively captured microbeads and fibers while examining how accumulated microplastics affected the treatment efficiency for carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal.

2023 Chemical Engineering Journal 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Can an Integrated Constructed Wetland in Norfolk Reduce Nutrient Concentrations and Promote In Situ Bird Species Richness?

An integrated constructed wetland in Norfolk, UK significantly reduced nutrient concentrations in treated effluent and improved local bird species richness. Constructed wetlands are also relevant to microplastics research as they have potential for capturing plastic particles from wastewater effluent.

2020 Wetlands 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal characteristics of microplastics in sewage flowing through a long-term operation surface flow wetland

A 17-year-old surface flow constructed wetland was found to remove 48–92% of microplastics from sewage depending on season, with fibers and PET dominating and concentrations peaking in summer and winter due to seasonal clothing habits. The results show that natural wetland-style treatment systems can meaningfully reduce microplastic loads in wastewater, though removal efficiency varies significantly with season.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate and removal of microplastics in unplanted lab-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands

Laboratory-scale unplanted vertical flow constructed wetlands were shown to remove microplastics from wastewater, with removal efficiency influenced by particle size, shape, and flow rate, highlighting constructed wetlands as a nature-based option for microplastic mitigation.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in a Large Constructed Wetland: Retention, Transport, and Characteristics

This study examined microplastic dynamics in a large constructed wetland, finding that the wetland acts as a net sink for microplastics with retention varying by particle size and shape, and identifying flow velocity as a key driver of transport behavior.

2024 Environmental Engineering Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic removal and risk assessment framework in a constructed wetland for the treatment of combined sewer overflows

Researchers assessed microplastic removal performance in a full-scale constructed wetland treating combined sewer overflows and developed a risk assessment framework for these events. They found that the wetland effectively reduced microplastic concentrations, though removal rates varied across different overflow events. The study provides evidence that constructed wetlands can serve as a practical nature-based solution for mitigating microplastic pollution from urban sewer systems.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport and fate of microplastics in constructed wetlands: A microcosm study

This study tested microplastic removal in constructed wetlands using different particle shapes and sizes, finding 81.6% removal in surface flow systems and 100% removal in horizontal subsurface flow systems, with biofilm attachment and physical filtration as key retention mechanisms.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 144 citations
Article Tier 2

Wastewater Treatment by Constructed Wetland Eco-Technology: Influence of Mineral and Plastic Materials as Filter Media and Tropical Ornamental Plants

Constructed wetlands using ornamental plants effectively removed chemical pollutants from wastewater, and the presence of plastic residues in the growing medium affected treatment performance. This finding is relevant to understanding how microplastics in constructed wetlands may interfere with natural water purification processes.

2019 Water 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands as tertiary treatment: Can they be an efficient barrier for microplastics pollution?

Horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetlands used as tertiary wastewater treatment removed 88% of microplastics from secondary effluent, contributing to an overall 98% reduction across the full treatment plant. Macroinvertebrates living in the wetland also ingested microplastics, suggesting biological uptake plays a role in plastic retention within the wetland ecosystem.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 155 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of macrophytes on micro – And nanoplastic retention and cycling in constructed wetlands

This study tested how the presence of aquatic plants (macrophytes) in constructed wetlands affects the capture and cycling of micro- and nanoplastics. Researchers found that planted wetlands were significantly better at intercepting nanoplastics and also improved nitrogen and phosphorus removal even when exposed to plastic particles. The findings suggest that including macrophytes in constructed wetland designs can enhance their ability to manage plastic pollution in water.

2023 Environmental Pollution 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Plant Based Application for Microplastic Removal in Constructed Wetlands: A Mini Review

This mini-review examines how wetland plants in constructed wetlands capture and degrade microplastics through physical entrapment, root-zone interactions, and microbial activity, assessing operational factors that determine removal efficiency.

2025 NIPES Journal of Science and Technology Research
Article Tier 2

The fate of microplastics/nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) in constructed wetlands: Addressing methodological gaps and experimental challenges from lab-scale to full-scale

This review examines the effectiveness of constructed wetlands for removing micro- and nanoplastics from water, comparing laboratory and full-scale results. Researchers found that while constructed wetlands show promising removal capabilities, the unique physical and chemical properties of plastic particles mean that lab-scale efficiencies may differ significantly from real-world performance, highlighting the need for more field-scale studies.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

An examination of Nature-Based Solutions’ ability to retain New and Emerging Pollutants – Preliminary results from a UK field test

Researchers conducted a UK field test of nature-based solutions to evaluate their ability to retain new and emerging pollutants, including microplastics, from stormwater in informal settlements lacking formal drainage infrastructure. Preliminary results indicate that constructed wetland-type systems can intercept a range of contaminants that persist through conventional treatment, though performance varied across pollutant classes.

2025 Figshare
Review Tier 2

The Effect of Wastewater Treatment Plants on Retainment of Plastic Microparticles to Enhance Water Quality—A Review

This review examined how well wastewater treatment plants remove microplastics, finding that most conventional systems achieve high removal rates but still discharge significant plastic quantities in treated effluent and sludge. Improving treatment efficiency and preventing sludge application to farmland are key strategies for reducing microplastic release.

2021 Journal of Environmental Protection 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding microplastic retention in surface flow constructed wetlands: The impact of aquatic macrophytes

This study tested how well constructed wetlands with different aquatic plants retain three common types of microplastics: polyethylene beads, tire wear particles, and synthetic fibers. Plants with complex leaf structures trapped more microplastics than simpler plants or unvegetated areas. The findings suggest that planted wetlands could serve as a nature-based solution for filtering microplastics from water before they reach rivers and drinking water sources.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of Floating Beds Constructed with Woodchips for Nitrate Removal and Plant Growth in Wetlands

This study tested whether floating beds constructed from woodchips could help remove microplastics from water as part of a constructed wetland or biotreatment system. The results demonstrated moderate retention of plastic particles by the woodchip material, suggesting potential as a low-cost passive removal approach.

2024 Water Air & Soil Pollution 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm growth is insufficient to retain large buoyant microplastics in constructed wetlands

Researchers investigated whether biofilm growth on buoyant microplastics is sufficient to cause them to sink and be retained in constructed wetlands used for water treatment. The study found that biofilm formation alone was insufficient to retain large buoyant microplastic particles, meaning these plastics may bypass constructed wetlands and enter downstream aquatic environments.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials