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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Aging and mitigation of microplastics during sewage sludge treatments: An overview
ClearFate of microplastics in sewage sludge and in agricultural soils
Researchers reviewed how microplastics accumulate in sewage sludge at wastewater treatment plants and then spread into agricultural soils when that sludge is applied as fertilizer, finding that sludge treatment processes can alter microplastic size and shape but do not eliminate them. The review calls for standardized methods to study how different sludge treatments affect microplastic properties and their downstream risks to soil health.
Contemporary Drift in Emerging Micro(nano)plastics Removal and Upcycling Technologies from Municipal Wastewater Sludge: Strategic Innovations and Prospects
This review evaluates both conventional and advanced methods for removing microplastics from sewage sludge before it is applied to farmland as fertilizer. Current treatment processes like anaerobic digestion and composting reduce but do not eliminate microplastics, and some methods can actually fragment larger plastics into more numerous smaller pieces. The authors identify emerging technologies and upcycling strategies that could better address this pathway of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils.
Transport and accumulation of microplastics through wastewater treatment sludge processes
Researchers tracked microplastic concentrations through each stage of wastewater treatment sludge processing — including thickening, anaerobic digestion, and dewatering — finding that each step altered MP abundance and size distribution, with digestion fragmenting some particles into smaller pieces rather than eliminating them.
Microplastics in Sewage Sludge: Effects of Treatment
This study examined the effects of various sewage sludge treatment processes on microplastic content, finding that treatment methods differ substantially in their ability to reduce microplastic concentrations before sludge is disposed of or land-applied.
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.
The fate of microplastic in sludge management systems
This review assessed the fate of microplastics in sewage sludge management systems, finding that standard stabilization processes including anaerobic digestion and composting do not substantially reduce MP concentrations. Land application of MP-rich sludge was identified as a major pathway for plastic particles entering agricultural soils, with the review calling for alternative sludge disposal strategies aligned with circular economy principles.
[Microplastics in wastewater treatment: current status and future trends].
This review summarizes current research on microplastic occurrence, removal, and fate in wastewater treatment plants, noting that while plants capture most microplastics in activated sludge, significant numbers still escape into effluent. The sludge itself then becomes a major pathway for microplastics to enter agricultural soils when applied as fertilizer. Future treatment improvements and sludge management policies are needed to reduce these release pathways.
Configuration-driven microplastic fate in full-scale sewage sludge treatment and opportunities for system-level mitigation
Researchers examined how different treatment configurations in wastewater plants shape the types and concentrations of microplastics that end up in sewage sludge — the solid byproduct that is frequently spread on agricultural land as fertilizer. Microplastic concentrations in final sludge ranged from 617 to 936 particles per gram of dry solids, with fine fragments under 100 micrometers dominating, and the specific sequence of thickening, digestion, and dewatering steps significantly influenced which polymer types were retained. Since sludge application is a major route for microplastics to enter farmland, optimizing treatment processes could meaningfully reduce environmental contamination.
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.
Microplastics in Sewage Sludge: A review
This review examines the presence and fate of microplastics in sewage sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants, a topic that has received less attention than microplastics in the water treatment line. The study highlights that agricultural application of sewage sludge is a primary source of microplastic contamination in soils, and provides a comprehensive overview of detection methods, concentrations, and the environmental implications of sludge-borne microplastics.
Seasonal Variation, Distribution and Characteristics of Microplastic in Sewage Sludge
Researchers investigated seasonal variation in microplastic concentration, distribution, and characteristics within sewage sludge at wastewater treatment plants, examining how precipitation patterns and sludge treatment processes influence microplastic retention and the pathways by which sludge-borne microplastics enter agricultural soils upon land application.
Microplastics in sewage sludge: Distribution, toxicity, identification methods, and engineered technologies
This review examines how microplastics accumulate in sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants, which then becomes a major pathway for spreading these particles into the environment. Researchers found that sludge can contain extremely high concentrations of microplastics, ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands of particles per kilogram. The study evaluates current detection methods and emerging technologies for removing microplastics from sludge before it is applied to agricultural land or disposed of.
Degradation mechanism of microplastics and potential risks during sewage sludge co-composting: A comprehensive review
This review examines how aerobic composting of sewage sludge can break down microplastics, but also identifies risks in the process. While composting shows promise as a green method for degrading microplastics, it can also release plastic additives and change the types of microplastics present. The study highlights that compost made from sewage sludge may inadvertently spread microplastics and their associated chemicals into agricultural soil.
A method for the characterisation of microplastics in sludge
Researchers developed a method for detecting and characterizing microplastics in sewage sludge, which concentrates the majority of microplastics removed during wastewater treatment. This method is important because sludge is widely spread on agricultural land, making it a key pathway for microplastics entering soils.
Approaching the environmental problem of microplastics: Importance of WWTP treatments
This review examines the role of wastewater treatment plants as sources and sinks of microplastics, noting that while treatment removes significant quantities, remaining particles concentrate in sewage sludge which is then applied to agricultural land as fertilizer. The authors survey available technologies for improving microplastic removal and call for better policy to address this gap.
Fate of microplastics in a centralized biogas plant treating mainly sewage sludge
Researchers tracked the fate of microplastics through a centralized biogas plant treating sewage sludge, examining how anaerobic digestion and subsequent dewatering partition microplastics between solid and liquid digestate fractions. The study informs efforts to develop safer digestate-based recycled fertilizers that minimize microplastic introduction to agricultural soils, where 20-55% of microplastics entering wastewater treatment plants are estimated to end up in sludge.
Tracing the fate of microplastic in wastewater treatment plant: A multi-stage analysis of treatment units and sludge
Researchers tracked microplastics through every stage of a wastewater treatment plant and found that while treatment removes many particles from the water, most end up concentrated in the leftover sludge. Fibers and fragments were the most common shapes, made primarily of polyester and polyethylene. Since treated sludge is often spread on farmland, this creates a pathway for microplastics to enter soil and potentially the food chain.
Effects of typical sludge treatment on microplastics in China—Characteristics, abundance and micro-morphological evidence
Different sludge treatment technologies used in China including anaerobic digestion, thermal drying, and composting were compared for their effects on microplastic characteristics and abundance, with results showing that treatment method significantly altered microplastic morphology but did not eliminate contamination. The study informs decisions about which treatment approaches best reduce microplastic transfer to soils when sludge is land-applied.
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.
Fate of microplastics during conventional and hydrothermal treatments of sewage sludge: a short review
This review examines the fate of microplastics during conventional and hydrothermal treatment of sewage sludge, noting that approximately 90% of microplastics entering wastewater treatment plants are retained in sludge. Researchers found that while conventional disposal routes concentrate microplastics in sludge destined for land application, hydrothermal treatments offer potential pathways to degrade or transform microplastics, though the efficiency and byproducts of these processes require further investigation.
Sampling, pre-treatment, and identification methods of microplastics in sewage sludge and their effects in agricultural soils: a review
This review examines methods for sampling, pre-treating, and identifying microplastics in sewage sludge, which accumulates microplastics removed during wastewater treatment. Researchers found that standardized protocols for sludge analysis are still lacking, making it difficult to compare results across studies. The study also highlights that when microplastic-laden sludge is applied to agricultural soils, it may introduce persistent plastic contamination into terrestrial ecosystems.
Microplastics in Sewage Sludge: A Known but Underrated Pathway in Wastewater Treatment Plants
This review finds that wastewater treatment plants effectively transfer microplastics from effluent into sewage sludge, creating a significant but underrated pathway for MP contamination when sludge is applied to agricultural soils.
Microplastic removal and management strategies for wastewater treatment plants
This review examines how well different wastewater treatment technologies remove microplastics and what management strategies can improve performance. While conventional treatment plants can remove a large percentage of microplastics from water, the particles often end up concentrated in sewage sludge that gets applied to farmland. The study highlights the need for advanced treatment options and better management of biosolids to prevent microplastics from simply being transferred from water to soil.
Variation in microplastic concentration, characteristics and distribution in sewage sludge & biosolids around the world
Researchers systematically reviewed 65 studies on microplastics in sewage sludge and biosolids from wastewater treatment plants around the world. They found that while treatment processes remove 57% to 99% of microplastics from wastewater, the removed particles concentrate in sludge that is often applied to agricultural land. The review highlights that land application of biosolids may be a significant, underappreciated pathway for microplastic pollution in soils.