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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Release of Microplastics from Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants to Aquatic Ecosystems in Acapulco, Mexico
ClearRelease of Microplastics from Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants to Aquatic Ecosystems in Acapulco, Mexico
Three wastewater treatment plants in Acapulco, Mexico removed 83–99% of incoming microplastics, yet still released between 9.5 million and 470 million plastic particles into receiving waterways every single day due to the massive volume of water processed. With common polymers like polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, and PVC identified in effluents, the study highlights that even high-efficiency treatment is insufficient to prevent large-scale microplastic loading of aquatic environments without dedicated regulatory limits.
Microplastic removal efficiency and polymer characterization in coastal wastewater treatment plants using FTIR spectroscopy
Researchers assessed microplastic concentrations and removal efficiencies at four wastewater treatment plants along the U.S. Gulf Coast, finding that influent contained an average of 3,472 particles per cubic meter while effluent contained 1,372. PET and polystyrene were the most abundant polymers, and plants with advanced filtration or lagoon-wetland systems achieved over 80% removal of these denser plastics, while lighter polymers like polyethylene were harder to capture. Seasonal patterns showed weaker removal during winter months.
Quantification of microplastic mass and removal rates at wastewater treatment plants applying Focal Plane Array (FPA)-based Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) imaging
This study quantified microplastic mass and calculated removal rates at wastewater treatment plants, finding that while plants remove a large proportion of incoming microplastics, the residual discharge still represents a substantial ongoing input to receiving water bodies.
Microplastics in the effluent of a German wastewater treatment plant ‒ analysis with μ-FTIR spectroscopy
A German wastewater treatment plant was found to release microplastics in its treated effluent, with fibers as the dominant type. The study used detailed chemical characterization and identified wastewater plants as ongoing point sources of microplastic pollution entering aquatic environments.
Detection of microplastic traces in four different types of municipal wastewater treatment plants through FT-IR and TED-GC-MS
Researchers detected microplastic traces in four different types of municipal wastewater treatment plants using FT-IR and TED-GC-MS, finding that while treatment processes removed most microplastics, some were still released into receiving water bodies.
Spectroscopic analysis of microplastic contaminants in an urban wastewater treatment plant from Seoul, South Korea
Researchers performed systematic multi-spectroscopic analysis of microplastics at influent and effluent stages of a metropolitan wastewater treatment plant in Seoul, South Korea, using FTIR and microscopic methods to characterize MP type, size, and polymer composition. The study quantified treatment efficiency for MP removal and identified the dominant polymer types entering and leaving the WWTP, informing efforts to reduce microplastic discharge to urban waterways.
Identification of microplastic in effluents of waste water treatment plants using focal plane array-based micro-Fourier-transform infrared imaging
Researchers analyzed effluent from 12 wastewater treatment plants in Germany and found microplastics in all of them, with estimates of up to 4 billion particles discharged per plant annually — predominantly polyethylene fragments and polyester fibers. Notably, one plant with an additional post-filtration step reduced microplastic discharge by 97%, showing that advanced filtration can dramatically cut the flow of plastic particles into waterways.
Microplastics monitoring in different environments: separation, physicochemical characterization, and quantification
Researchers systematically monitored microplastic contamination across multiple environments including a wastewater treatment plant, surrounding water bodies, and soils near plastic factories, characterizing shape, size, color, and polymer composition via microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. They found fragments and fibers to be the most common microplastic shapes in water environments and documented simultaneous contamination across all sampled matrices.
Microplastiche: classificazione, identificazione e rimozione all'interno degli impianti di trattamento delle acque reflue
This Italian-language paper reviews how microplastics are classified, identified using techniques like FTIR spectroscopy, and removed in wastewater treatment plants. Conventional treatment plants remove a substantial portion of microplastics but still allow many particles to pass through into the environment. The review calls for better treatment technologies and standardized methods to assess microplastic removal efficiency.
Quantification and Characterization of Microplastics in Seven Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants
Wastewater treatment plants are a key pathway through which microplastics enter rivers and coastal waters, and this six-month study across seven Spanish treatment plants found that conventional processes offer inconsistent and often inadequate protection. Microplastics were present in all samples, and in some cases effluent concentrations were nearly as high as influent concentrations — meaning the plants were adding little removal value for plastic particles. The dominance of synthetic fibers and the seasonal variation observed point to the need for better tertiary treatment steps to capture microplastics before discharge.
Microplastics in two German wastewater treatment plants: Year-long effluent analysis with FTIR and Py-GC/MS
Researchers analyzed microplastics in the effluents of two German wastewater treatment plants monthly over one year, revealing temporal variations in microplastic concentrations and polymer compositions entering receiving river systems.
Microplastics in Influents and Effluents of Estonian Wastewater Treatment Plants
This Estonian study is the first systematic investigation of microplastic concentrations in both the influent and effluent of Estonian wastewater treatment plants, using continuous filtration sampling and FTIR spectroscopy. The research establishes baseline data for microplastic removal efficiency in Baltic state wastewater infrastructure, documenting how treatment reduces but does not eliminate microplastic discharge.
IR microspectroscopic identification of microplastics in municipal wastewater treatment plants
Researchers used infrared microspectroscopy to identify microplastics at three municipal wastewater treatment plants in Thailand employing different treatment processes, finding varied levels of microplastic contamination tied to urbanization level and treatment technology.
Microplastics in Estonian wastewater treatment plants: First evaluation of baseline concentrations and stage-wise removal efficiency
Researchers sampled six Estonian wastewater treatment plants to establish baseline microplastic concentrations in influents and effluents and assess stage-wise removal efficiency. At least 78% of microscopically identified MPs were confirmed by µFTIR spectroscopy, with at least 50% removed during secondary treatment, providing the first baseline data for Estonian WWTP microplastic discharge into the Baltic Sea.
Microplastic Monitoring at Different Stages in a Wastewater Treatment Plant Using Reflectance Micro-FTIR Imaging
Researchers used reflectance micro-FTIR imaging to monitor microplastic presence at multiple treatment stages within a wastewater treatment plant, addressing the challenge of analyzing MPs in biogenic organic matter-rich matrices. The study mapped how microplastic identity, abundance, and size distribution changed through primary and secondary treatment, providing insight into WWTP contributions to aquatic microplastic pollution.
From the highway to receiving water bodies: identification and simultaneous quantification of small microplastics (< 100 µm) in highway stormwater runoff
Researchers used micro-FTIR vibrational spectroscopy to simultaneously identify and quantify small microplastics (under 100 µm) in highway stormwater runoff sampled at inlet and outlet points of a filtration facility in Italy. Inlet concentrations reached up to 39,813 SMPs/L with polyamide 6 and HDPE dominating, and the treatment system reduced concentrations substantially, though significant microplastic loads still discharged to the receiving water body.
Microplastics in different water samples (seawater, freshwater, and wastewater): Methodology approach for characterization using micro-FTIR spectroscopy
Researchers developed a standardized methodology for detecting and characterizing small microplastics (10-500 micrometers) in different water types using micro-FTIR spectroscopy. The study tested various sample preparation approaches for seawater, freshwater, and wastewater, establishing reliable protocols for rinsing, digestion, and microplastic collection that can be used to assess treatment plant removal efficiency.
Characterization and removal efficiencies of microplastics discharged from sewage treatment plants in Southeast Spain
This four-year study of sewage treatment plants in southeast Spain found that while the plants removed 64 to 89 percent of microplastics, significant amounts still escaped into the environment. Advanced treatment was less effective at catching fibers compared to other particle shapes, and more microplastics of smaller sizes were found in autumn samples. The findings confirm that wastewater treatment plants are a major ongoing source of microplastic pollution entering waterways that communities depend on.
Microplastic in Danish wastewater: Sources, occurrences and fate
Researchers evaluated the role of Danish wastewater treatment plants in microplastic emissions by analyzing samples from 10 WWTPs, associated sludge, and farmland soils using FTIR imaging, identifying the amounts, polymer types, and potential sources of microplastics entering the environment.
Microplastic occurrence and characteristics in a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Jakarta
A Jakarta wastewater treatment plant was found to remove about 91% of incoming microplastics, yet still discharged an estimated 352 microplastic particles per second into the aquatic environment. Fibers were the dominant shape, and particles ranged from 100 to 5,000 µm. This study highlights that even efficient treatment plants are significant ongoing sources of microplastic pollution in urban waterways.
Abundance and Characterization of Anthropogenic Microlitter in Effluent from Three Wastewater Treatment Plants in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain)
Researchers measured microplastic particles in effluent from three wastewater treatment plants on Gran Canaria, finding that effluent treatment level significantly affected how many particles were released into the environment. Even advanced membrane bioreactor treatment did not completely eliminate microlitter, meaning wastewater plants remain a significant source of microplastics entering aquatic environments.
Microplastics in Mediterranean coastal wastewater treatment plants: Seasonal trends driven by tourism and weather conditions
Researchers monitored microplastics at two Mediterranean coastal wastewater treatment plants in Spain, finding influent concentrations of 30-75 particles/L with seasonal peaks in warmer months, removal efficiencies of 73-86%, and significant correlations between microplastic concentrations and both temperature and precipitation, with polypropylene and polyethylene dominating polymer profiles.
Microplastic Pollution in Tropical River: Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy-Based Characterization of Abundance and Polymer Composition in Water and Sediments from Filobobos River, Mexico
Researchers characterized microplastic pollution in the water and sediments of the Bobos River in the tropical lowlands of Veracruz, Mexico, finding that blue-colored polyethylene fibers were the most common type. The study links the dominant polymer — polyethylene, commonly used in agricultural mulch and chemical containers — to the river basin's agricultural activity. As one of the first microplastic studies in this biodiverse region, it provides baseline data and highlights the need for better plastic waste management in Mexico's river systems.
Unveiling Microplastic Removal and Characteristics in Wastewater from Two Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facilities in Indonesia
Two Indonesian municipal wastewater treatment plants — one advanced, one using simple ponds — both achieved roughly 90% microplastic removal, bringing influent concentrations of around 16 particles per liter down to about 1.5 particles per liter in treated effluent. Despite high removal rates, the remaining microplastics (predominantly PP, PE, PET, and polystyrene fibers and fragments) still discharge into receiving waters continuously, highlighting the need for improved treatment technologies to protect Indonesian aquatic ecosystems.