Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Integral analysis of hydrodynamic cavitation effects on waste activated sludge characteristics, potentially toxic metals, microorganisms and identification of microplastics

Researchers investigated hydrodynamic cavitation as a pretreatment for waste activated sludge, analyzing its effects on sludge characteristics, toxic metals, microorganisms, and identifying microplastics present in the sludge to improve anaerobic digestion efficiency.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Integral analysis of hydrodynamic cavitation effects on waste activated sludge characteristics, potentially toxic metals, microorganisms and identification of microplastics

Researchers tested hydrodynamic cavitation — a process using high-speed water flow to create pressure changes — as a pretreatment to improve sewage sludge digestion and measured its effects on microplastics in the sludge. The process reduced some sludge properties that limit biogas production, but its effect on microplastic fragmentation was also assessed. The study is relevant to understanding how wastewater treatment alters microplastic size and abundance in sludge spread on farmland.

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

Conversion of Materials and Energy in Anaerobic Digestion of Sewage Sludge with High-Pressure Homogenization Pretreatment

Not a microplastics paper — this study evaluates high-pressure homogenization as a pretreatment for sewage sludge before anaerobic digestion, finding it increases methane gas yield by up to 57% while helping to optimize energy use in wastewater treatment.

2023 Processes 9 citations
Article Tier 2

A perspective on hydrothermal processing of sewage sludge

Researchers reviewed hydrothermal processing as a strategy for treating sewage sludge, finding it can recover eleven times more energy than landfilling and, when integrated with anaerobic digestion, offers a scalable approach to converting the 79 million dry tons of liquid organic waste the US generates annually.

2020 Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health 107 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the Effects of Different Pretreatments on Anaerobic Digestion of Waste Activated Sludge Containing Polystyrene Microplastics

Researchers found that thermal and chemical pretreatments improved methane yields by 17-20% during anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge containing polystyrene microplastics, though chemical methods caused greater leaching of additives from the plastic particles.

2021 ACS ES&T Water 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Thermal hydrolysis alleviates polyethylene microplastic-induced stress in anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge

Scientists found that pretreating waste sludge with heat before anaerobic digestion reduced the negative effects that polyethylene microplastics have on the process. The thermal treatment improved methane production and helped maintain healthy microbial communities even in the presence of microplastics. The study suggests that thermal hydrolysis could be a practical strategy for wastewater treatment plants dealing with microplastic-contaminated sludge.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Electrifying anaerobic granular sludge for enhanced waste anaerobic digestion and biogas production

Researchers investigated bioelectrochemical anaerobic digestion (BEAD) using intact anaerobic granular sludge (AGS) as a biocatalyst, optimizing methane production by controlling applied voltage and acetate loading. The system exploited interactions between exoelectrogens and methanogens within the AGS to enhance biogas yields compared to conventional anaerobic digestion.

2022 Separation and Purification Technology 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Developments in the Application of Ultrasonication in Pre-Treatment of Municipal Sewage Sludge

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper reviews ultrasonication as a pre-treatment method for municipal sewage sludge to improve anaerobic digestion efficiency, with no focus on plastic contamination.

2023 Journal of Ecological Engineering 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastic on anaerobic digestion of wasted activated sludge

This study investigated how varying doses of microplastics affect methane production during anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge, testing concentrations from 0 to 100,000 particles per gram. Higher microplastic doses progressively inhibited methane production, suggesting that high microplastic loads in wastewater treatment sludge can impair biogas recovery.

2020 Chemosphere 147 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of toxic metals from sewage sludge by EDTA and hydrodynamic cavitation and use of the sludge as fertilizer

This study tested EDTA chelation combined with hydrodynamic cavitation to remove toxic metals from sewage sludge, achieving high removal efficiencies for lead, cadmium, and zinc, enabling safer use of the treated sludge as agricultural fertilizer.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of alkaline thermal hydrolysis on anaerobic digestion of mixed sludge contaminated with microplastics

Researchers tested alkaline thermal hydrolysis pretreatment on sludge containing polyethylene and PVC microplastics before anaerobic digestion, finding that the pretreatment altered how microplastics affected subsequent methane production, with effects varying by polymer type and concentration.

2025 Journal of Water Process Engineering
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in sewage sludge destined to anaerobic digestion: The potential role of thermal pretreatment

Researchers found that thermal pretreatment of sewage sludge at 120°C did not degrade conventional PET microplastics but did alter biodegradable microplastics, which also boosted methane production during anaerobic digestion, raising concerns about how different microplastic types behave in sludge treatment.

2022 Chemosphere 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Advancements and Innovations in Harnessing Microbial Processes for Enhanced Biogas Production from Waste Materials

This review examines microbial processes in anaerobic digestion for enhanced biogas production from agricultural residues, food waste, animal manure, and municipal solid waste, covering feedstock selection, microbial community dynamics, and biotechnological innovations. Advanced approaches including co-digestion, pretreatment, and microbial augmentation are highlighted as strategies for improving biogas yields.

2023 Agriculture 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficacité des couplages digestion anaérobie mésophile- réacteur thermophile pour la réduction de la production de boues, la production de biogaz et l’élimination des micropolluants

This study evaluated a mesophilic–thermophilic anaerobic digestion configuration for sewage sludge treatment, finding it improved sludge volume reduction and biogas production while offering potential for micropollutant elimination compared to conventional digestion.

2024 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Thermal Disintegration of Waste-Activated Sludge

This review examines thermal pretreatment methods for managing waste-activated sludge from wastewater treatment plants, covering how heat breaks down organic structures to improve biodegradability and dewatering. Combining thermal treatment with chemical methods yields higher biogas output, lower pathogen levels, and reduced environmental risk.

2024 Energies 5 citations
Article Tier 2

MicroplasticDegradation through Thermal Hydrolysisin Sewage Sludge and Its Impact on the Anaerobic Process

Researchers investigated the fate of microplastics in sewage sludge during thermal hydrolysis pretreatment and found that temperatures of 140-180°C significantly degraded microplastics while also affecting subsequent anaerobic biogas production from the treated sludge.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Impact of preozonation on biogas potential of PVC microplastics-containing waste sludge

Researchers evaluated the impact of preozonation on anaerobic digestion of wastewater sludge contaminated with PVC microplastics, measuring biogas and methane yields to determine whether ozone pretreatment could overcome the inhibitory effect that insoluble PVC particles exert on sludge-degrading microorganisms.

2022 Global NEST Journal 3 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

The Potential of Ozonation to Reduce Impact of Waste Sludge-Entrapped Microplastics to Biogas Production

Wastewater treatment plants concentrate microplastics from sewage into the resulting sludge, and this study tested whether ozonation could reduce the harm those microplastics cause during anaerobic digestion used to produce biogas. The findings showed that PET and polypropylene microplastics alter methane yields from sludge digestion in concentration-dependent ways, and that ozone pretreatment partially mitigates the inhibition caused by polypropylene — though the interactions are complex and require further optimization before widespread use.

2024 Ozone Science and Engineering 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Opportunities regarding the use of technologies of energy recovery from sewage sludge

This review evaluated pyrolysis, gasification, and incineration as energy recovery technologies for sewage sludge management, finding pyrolysis advantageous due to low emissions, reduced heavy metal mobility, and useful by-products including bio-gas, bio-oil, and bio-char adsorbents.

2021 SN Applied Sciences 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Conditioning Agent Addition Sequence on Dewatering Performance of Advanced Anaerobic Digested Sludge

Not relevant to microplastics — this study investigates how the order of adding coagulants and flocculants affects the dewatering efficiency of anaerobically digested sewage sludge.

2024 Water 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of co-substrates’ mixing ratios and loading rate variations on food and agricultural wastes’ anaerobic co-digestion performance

This study optimized anaerobic co-digestion of food and agricultural waste to produce biogas, exploring how mixing ratios and loading rates affect performance. Diverting organic waste to bioenergy reduces the fraction of municipal waste that enters landfills and ultimately contributes to microplastic generation.

2021 Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Overcoming micro/nanoplastics-induced inhibition in anaerobic digestion: Advances in remediation techniques

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics inhibit anaerobic digestion performance — reducing biogas yield and organic removal — and surveys remediation strategies including physical, chemical, and biological approaches to overcome their disruptive effects in waste treatment systems.

2025 Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
Article Tier 2

A review on the recent advances in electrochemical treatment technologies for sludge dewatering and alternative uses

This review examined recent advances in electrochemical treatment technologies for sludge dewatering and alternative uses, highlighting how these methods can address challenges including pathogen removal and microplastic contamination in municipal wastewater sludge.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 31 citations