Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Role of microparticles on the filamentous bulking of activated sludge

This study found that PET microparticles contribute to the filamentous bulking problem in wastewater treatment plant activated sludge, where excess filamentous bacteria cause settling failures. Microplastics can disrupt the biological treatment processes that wastewater plants rely on to remove pollutants before discharge.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
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

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

Impact and mechanism of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics with different particle sizes on sludge anaerobic digestion

Researchers examined how polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics of different particle sizes and physical aging states affect anaerobic digestion of municipal wastewater treatment sludge, conducting comparative experiments to elucidate the impact mechanisms. They found that PET microplastics accumulated in sludge alter the digestion process, with particle size influencing the degree of disruption to microbial activity and biogas production.

2024 Environmental Pollution 1 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

Long-term impacts of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics in membrane bioreactor

Researchers evaluated the long-term impact of PET microplastics on membrane bioreactor performance for wastewater treatment. The study found that while biological removal efficiency remained largely unaffected, the accumulation of PET particles adversely impacted sludge settling and dewatering properties and increased extracellular polymer production, suggesting long-term operational concerns for treatment facilities.

2022 Journal of Environmental Management 45 citations
Article Tier 2

[Change in Granulation Potential and Microbial Enrichment Characteristics of Sludge Induced by Microplastics].

This study found that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics accelerate the formation of granular sludge in wastewater treatment plants by increasing sticky protein secretions, but continuous exposure ultimately degrades treatment performance and disrupts the microbial communities responsible for removing nitrogen. This matters because it suggests microplastics entering sewage systems could compromise the efficiency of the very facilities designed to filter them out.

2023 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Microplastics by Baceterial Communities From Activated Sludge

Scientists isolated bacteria from wastewater treatment sludge that can biodegrade PET plastic, used in plastic bottles and food packaging. The bacteria broke down PET microplastics over a 60-day period, pointing toward a potential biological tool for removing plastic contamination from water treatment systems.

2021
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Microplastics by Baceterial Communities From Activated Sludge

Scientists isolated bacteria from wastewater treatment sludge that can biodegrade PET plastic, used in plastic bottles and food packaging. The bacteria broke down PET microplastics over a 60-day period, pointing toward a potential biological tool for removing plastic contamination from water treatment systems.

2021 1 citations
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

The entering of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics into biological wastewater treatment system affects aerobic sludge digestion differently from their direct entering into sludge treatment system

Researchers found that PET microplastics entering a biological wastewater treatment system before the sludge treatment stage affected aerobic sludge digestion differently than microplastics added directly to the sludge, highlighting that the treatment pathway determines the nature of microplastic impacts on sludge processing systems.

2020 Water Research 84 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

Effects of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics on performance of sequencing-batch membrane bioreactor for simulated municipal wastewater treatment

Researchers assessed the impact of PET microplastics on a sequencing-batch membrane bioreactor treating simulated municipal wastewater and found that PET MPs altered microbial community composition, reduced treatment efficiency at higher concentrations, and increased membrane fouling. The study highlights risks to wastewater infrastructure from microplastic contamination.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on acute exposure of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics on the performance of anammox granular sludge

Researchers studied how short-term exposure to PET microplastics of different sizes affects the performance of anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria used in wastewater treatment. Surprisingly, acute exposure to PET microplastics actually promoted the denitrification rate of the reactor and increased the activity of key enzymes. The findings suggest that brief microplastic exposure may temporarily boost certain biological wastewater treatment processes, though long-term effects remain unknown.

2025 Anaerobe 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Insight into response characteristics and inhibition mechanisms of anammox granular sludge to polyethylene terephthalate microplastics exposure

This study tested how PET microplastics affect the anammox process, a key biological method used in wastewater treatment to remove nitrogen. At higher concentrations, PET particles reduced treatment efficiency by about 16% and weakened the structure of the bacterial granules that perform the process. The findings matter because microplastics in sewage could impair the very systems designed to clean our wastewater.

2023 Bioresource Technology 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastics on Anaerobic Mono-Digestion and Co-Digestion of Fecal Sludge from Septic Tank

Tests with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics in two types of anaerobic digestion systems for fecal sludge showed that PET inhibited the production of volatile fatty acids in both systems but had different effects on biogas and methane generation depending on the setup. Since microplastics are commonly found in septic tanks, understanding how they disrupt the microbial processes that treat sewage sludge is important for maintaining effective waste management.

2024 Molecules 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in real wastewater treatment schemes: comparative assessment and relevant inhibition effects on anaerobic processes

Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence and removal in an Italian wastewater treatment plant, finding 3.6 MPs/L in influent dominated by polyester fibers, with conventional activated sludge achieving 86% removal, and demonstrating that concentrated sludge-associated microplastics can inhibit downstream anaerobic digestion.

2021 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Nano–Sized Polyethylene Terephthalate on Microalgal–Bacterial Granular Sludge in Non–Aerated Wastewater Treatment

This study found that nano-sized PET microplastics at concentrations up to 30 mg/L had little impact on a microalgal-bacterial wastewater treatment system, but at 50 mg/L began degrading performance after two weeks by suppressing algal growth and disrupting energy metabolism in the microbial community. The granular sludge responded by producing extracellular polymers that adsorbed the nanoplastics, acting as a partial defense mechanism. These findings suggest that current nanoplastic contamination levels in municipal wastewater are unlikely to severely compromise this emerging treatment technology, but higher concentrations could be problematic.

2023 Water 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Aged microplastic fibers induce activated sludge bulking: A new non-filamentous bulking behavior in sequencing batch reactors

Researchers found that aged microplastic fibers at 10 mg/L caused severe non-filamentous sludge bulking in sequencing batch reactors — with a sludge volume index of 280 mL/g and up to 40% reduction in contaminant removal — due to enhanced biofilm adhesion and selective enrichment of polysaccharide-secreting bacteria that formed viscous extracellular polymeric substances.

2025 Water Research
Article Tier 2

Analysis of the potential role of microplastics as transporters of microorganisms in activated sludge

Researchers investigated whether microplastic microbeads present in wastewater can support microbial biofilm formation and facilitate the spread of microorganisms in activated sludge treatment systems. Microplastics from multiple polymer types readily hosted biofilm development, with bacterial communities differing between plastic types, suggesting microplastics can serve as microbial vectors in wastewater treatment.

2025 Desalination and Water Treatment 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Analytical methods for quantifying PS and PVC Nanoplastic attachment to activated sludge Bacteria and their impact on community structure

Researchers developed and evaluated analytical methods for quantifying the attachment of polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride nanoplastics to activated sludge bacteria, while also examining the impact of these nanoplastics on microbial community structure.

2024 NanoImpact
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

Biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics by bacterial communities from activated sludge

Bacterial communities from activated sludge were shown to grow on PET microplastics as a sole carbon source and achieved measurable biodegradation of heat-pretreated PET fragments in a standardized CO₂ evolution test, identifying activated sludge as a source of PET-degrading microbes.

2020 The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering 61 citations
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