Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Removal of microplastics from wastewater: available techniques and way forward

This review surveys the available techniques for removing microplastics from wastewater, including filtration, coagulation, biological treatment, and advanced methods like membrane bioreactors. Researchers found that while conventional treatment plants can remove a substantial fraction of microplastics, significant amounts still pass through to the environment. The study emphasizes the need for upgrading wastewater treatment systems to better capture these emerging contaminants.

2021 Water Science & Technology 100 citations
Review Tier 2

A review of microplastic removal from water and wastewater by membrane technologies

This review examines how membrane filtration technologies can remove microplastics from drinking water and wastewater. Researchers found that advanced membranes like nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and membrane bioreactors are among the most effective methods for capturing microplastic particles that conventional treatment plants miss. The study compares membrane approaches with other removal methods and discusses the challenges of membrane fouling caused by microplastic accumulation.

2023 Water Science & Technology 146 citations
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive review of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants

This review surveys microplastic removal technologies used in wastewater treatment plants, comparing membrane bioreactors, electrocoagulation, coagulation-sedimentation, and biodegradation approaches. Understanding removal efficiency at treatment plants is critical because they are a primary pathway by which microplastics — and the toxic chemicals they carry — reach rivers, coastal waters, and ultimately drinking water supplies.

2024 BIO Web of Conferences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Eradication of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment: Overview

This review examined technologies for removing microplastics from wastewater, evaluating physical, chemical, and biological treatment methods and finding that while conventional treatment plants capture a significant fraction, emerging technologies like membrane filtration and coagulation are needed to achieve more complete removal.

2022 Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Membrane Processes for Microplastic Removal

This review evaluates the use of membrane technologies for removing microplastics and nanoplastics from wastewater treatment plant effluents. Researchers found that while membrane bioreactors show promise, most existing membrane approaches are still insufficient for comprehensive microplastic removal, especially for the smallest particles. The study suggests that specially designed membrane systems are needed as advanced tertiary treatment to prevent microplastic discharge into waterways.

2019 Molecules 316 citations
Article Tier 2

Treatment technologies for the removal of micro plastics from aqueous medium

Researchers reviewed treatment technologies for removing microplastics from water, finding that while multiple methods including filtration, membrane processes, and coagulation show promise, their effectiveness depends on microplastic size, type, and concentration.

2022 AIP conference proceedings 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Innovative technologies for removal of micro plastic: A review of recent advances

Researchers reviewed emerging technologies for removing microplastics from wastewater, covering filtration, coagulation, biological treatment, and other methods used at treatment plants. The review highlights which approaches show the most promise and calls for broader adoption and improved standardization so that microplastics are more consistently captured before they reach rivers, lakes, and oceans.

2024 Heliyon 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics removal mechanisms in wastewater treatment plants: A review

This review examines how conventional wastewater treatment plants remove micro- and nanoplastics, and evaluates advanced technologies like membrane filtration and electrocoagulation that could improve removal rates. While existing treatment plants can capture most microplastics, they still release significant quantities into waterways through their enormous discharge volumes. The study highlights that biological treatment steps may also transform microplastics in potentially harmful ways that need further investigation.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 88 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic Removal Techniques in Domestic and Municipal Wastewater: A Systematic Review

This systematic review summarizes existing research on different methods for removing microplastics from household and city wastewater. The study found that while conventional treatment plants can remove many microplastics, advanced techniques like membrane filtration and electrocoagulation are needed to catch the smallest particles. This matters because wastewater is one of the main pathways through which microplastics enter rivers, lakes, and eventually our drinking water.

2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT) 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Use of Different Bioreactors for the Removal of Microplastics from Wastewater

This review compares different bioreactor configurations—including membrane bioreactors, moving bed biofilm reactors, and constructed wetlands—for removing microplastics from wastewater, evaluating removal efficiencies and operational requirements for each system type.

2025
Article Tier 2

Technologies for the Removal of Microplastics from Wastewater: A Short Review

This review compares wastewater treatment technologies for removing microplastics, finding that membrane bioreactors and advanced filtration systems achieve the highest removal efficiencies (>95%) but that MPs accumulating in sludge may re-enter the environment through biosolid disposal. The analysis underscores that no current treatment system completely prevents MP discharge and that sludge management is a critical but underaddressed pathway to the environment.

2023 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Remediation of Micro- and Nanoplastics by Membrane Technologies

This review examined how membrane filtration technologies can remove micro- and nanoplastics from water and wastewater, since conventional treatment plants cannot fully eliminate these particles. Researchers found that techniques like ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and membrane bioreactors are highly effective at capturing microplastics, though each has trade-offs related to cost, fouling, and energy use. The study also raises the concern that polymeric membranes themselves could potentially release plastic particles during the filtration process.

2025 Membranes 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Treatment processes for microplastics and nanoplastics in waters: State-of-the-art review

This review summarized established and emerging treatment processes for removing microplastics and nanoplastics from drinking water and wastewater, evaluating coagulation, membrane filtration, advanced oxidation, and biological treatment in terms of removal efficiency and operational feasibility.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of microplastics removal methods from aquatic environments

This review summarizes current methods for removing microplastics from water environments, including filtration, coagulation, biological degradation, and advanced oxidation. No single technique is fully effective, and the authors note that combining methods and improving wastewater treatment infrastructure is essential.

2021 Heritage and Sustainable Development ISSN 2712-0554 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The Potential Role of Membrane Technology in the Removal of Microplastics from Wastewater

This review examines membrane filtration as a technology for removing microplastics from wastewater, finding it promising but limited by issues of fouling and chemical instability. Improving membrane technology could significantly reduce the amount of microplastics discharged into waterways from treatment plants.

2021 Journal of Applied Membrane Science & Technology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Filtration Solutions for Microplastic Mitigation: Cutting-Edge Filtration Technologies and Membrane Innovations for Environmental Protection

This review covers advances in filtration technologies and membrane innovations for removing microplastics from the environment, examining the performance, limitations, and scalability of approaches including membrane filtration, coagulation, and combined treatment processes.

2025 Preprints.org
Article Tier 2

Wastewater Treatment Methods for Removal of Microplastics from Effluents

This book chapter reviewed pressure membrane technologies — including ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis — for removing microplastics and nanoplastics from wastewater effluents. The authors evaluate the performance, cost, and limitations of each membrane type and discuss how combinations of technologies can achieve higher removal efficiencies.

2025
Article Tier 2

Preventing Microplastic Release into Oceans through Wastewater Treatment Technologies.

Comparing immersed and sidestream membrane bioreactors for microplastic removal from wastewater, this analysis found membrane bioreactors more efficient than conventional treatment, identifying them as a key technology to prevent microplastic release to oceans.

2024 Science and Technology of Engineering Chemistry and Environmental Protection
Article Tier 2

How to remove microplastics in wastewater? A cost-effectiveness analysis

A cost-effectiveness analysis of microplastic removal in wastewater treatment found that activated sludge, rapid sand filtering, and membrane bioreactor technologies differ substantially in removal efficiency and cost per unit removed, with membrane bioreactors achieving the highest removal but at prohibitive cost.

2021 Ecological Economics 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Review and future outlook for the removal of microplastics by physical, biological and chemical methods in water bodies and wastewaters

This review compares physical, biological, and chemical methods for removing microplastics from water and wastewater, including newer approaches like advanced membranes, bacterial degradation, and electrochemical treatment. Each method has trade-offs between removal efficiency, cost, and environmental impact, and no single technique currently solves the problem completely. The review emphasizes that developing effective microplastic removal technology is urgent for protecting both ecosystems and human drinking water supplies.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 25 citations
Review Tier 2

Removal of microplastics in unit processes used in water and wastewater treatment: a review

This review evaluates various water and wastewater treatment technologies for their ability to remove microplastics, including filtration, coagulation, and advanced oxidation methods. The authors found that while conventional treatment plants can remove a large percentage of microplastics, significant quantities still pass through into treated water. The study calls for combining multiple treatment steps and developing new technologies specifically designed to capture micro- and nanoplastic particles.

2023 Archives of Environmental Protection 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent approaches and advanced wastewater treatment technologies for mitigating emerging microplastics contamination – A critical review

This review critically assessed advanced wastewater treatment technologies for removing microplastics, noting that conventional treatment plants act as both barriers and point sources for microplastic release into the environment. The study suggests that advanced treatment approaches such as membrane filtration and advanced oxidation processes show promise for improving microplastic removal efficiency from wastewater.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 243 citations
Article Tier 2

Conventional and Advanced Treatment Technologies for Microplastics in Water Treatment Facilities

This review evaluated both conventional and advanced water treatment methods for removing microplastics from wastewater. Researchers found that while techniques like coagulation, filtration, and membrane bioreactors can remove most microplastics, treatment plants still release significant quantities due to the sheer volume of water processed, and microplastic-laden sludge applied to farmland creates another pathway for environmental contamination.

2024 Preprints.org 6 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Microplastics removal technologies from aqueous environments: a systematic review

This systematic review evaluated microplastic removal technologies and found that membrane filtration, electrocoagulation, and advanced oxidation processes are the most effective methods for removing microplastics from aqueous environments. The research highlights that conventional water treatment alone is insufficient to fully eliminate microplastics, and that combining multiple treatment stages achieves the highest removal rates.

2023 Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering 9 citations