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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Status of Research on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Wastewater Collection Systems
ClearExploring the potential impacts of microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions in wastewater treatment
This review analyzed how microplastics in wastewater treatment plants affect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, focusing on mechanisms by which microplastics alter microbial communities and their metabolic processes. The plastisphere was identified as a key site for altered methane and nitrous oxide production, with implications for climate reporting from the water sector.
Methane Production Mechanism and Control Strategies for Sewers: A Critical Review
Not relevant to microplastics — this review covers methane production mechanisms in urban sewer systems and strategies such as oxygen injection and iron dosing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater infrastructure.
Estimating fossil carbon contributions from chemicals and microplastics in Sweden's urban wastewater systems: A model-based approach
A modeling study estimated that fossil-derived carbon makes up roughly 12–17% of the total carbon flowing into Swedish municipal wastewater treatment plants, with microplastics accounting for about 13% of that fossil carbon fraction. This is relevant because wastewater treatment plants emit greenhouse gases, and IPCC guidelines now require accounting for fossil carbon separately from biogenic carbon in those emissions. The study provides a practical framework for other countries to estimate plastic-derived fossil carbon contributions to wastewater emissions inventories.
Greenhouse gas emissions and control measures for constructed wetland: A systematic review
This systematic review examines greenhouse gas emissions from constructed wetlands used for wastewater treatment, finding that CH4, CO2, and N2O fluxes vary widely by region and wetland configuration, and that emerging contaminants including microplastics influence emissions. The review proposes design and operational strategies to reduce the climate footprint of constructed wetlands while preserving their water treatment benefits.
Significant effects of rural wastewater treatment plants in reducing microplastic pollution: A perspective from China's southwest area
Researchers studied microplastic pollution at rural wastewater treatment plants in southwestern China and found influent concentrations of 3.8 to 8.2 particles per liter, with removal rates of only 14 to 55%. Based on national sewage discharge data, they estimated China's annual microplastic emissions through wastewater at nearly 3,000 tons, with rural areas contributing about 25%. The study highlights that rural wastewater systems, though often overlooked, represent a significant source of microplastic pollution entering waterways.
The effect and mechanism of microplastics to the N2O emission in underground and aboveground wastewater treatment plants
This study compared microplastic levels and their effects on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions — a potent greenhouse gas — in underground and aboveground wastewater treatment plants in China. Underground plants had higher incoming microplastic concentrations but achieved slightly better removal rates, and microplastics were found to influence the microbial communities responsible for nitrogen processing in ways that affected N2O production. The results suggest that microplastic contamination in wastewater treatment systems has consequences not only for water quality but potentially for greenhouse gas emissions from these facilities.
Mapping Flows, Stocks, Plastic Emissions, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Polyurethanes: Decoding Challenges and Pollution Prevention Pathways in China
Researchers mapped material flows, stocks, plastic emissions, and greenhouse gas emissions associated with the polyurethane life cycle, identifying production, use, and end-of-life stages as key hotspots for both microplastic release and carbon emissions.
Insight into Greenhouse Gases Emissions and Energy Consumption of Different Full-Scale Wastewater Treatment Plants via ECAM Tool
Researchers evaluated greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption at multiple full-scale wastewater treatment plants across Chinese cities using the ECAM tool, finding that energy consumption correlated positively with influent organic load, that one Xi'an plant emitted 19,215 tonnes CO2-equivalent of methane annually, and that process selection strongly determines overall carbon footprint.
A Comprehensive Modeling of Microplastic Emission from Wastewater Treatment Plants to the Sea via Rivers in China
Researchers built a comprehensive model of microplastic emissions from over 10,000 wastewater treatment plants across China, estimating that treated wastewater releases roughly 45 million kilograms of microplastics annually. Remarkably, untreated sewage contributes a comparable amount, indicating that expanding treatment capacity is critical. After accounting for river retention, an estimated 41 to 82 million kilograms of microplastics still reach the sea each year.
An Overview of Management Status and Recycling Strategies for Plastic Packaging Waste in China
Not relevant to microplastics — this paper reviews Chinese policy and recycling technology for plastic packaging waste, focusing on regulatory frameworks, carbon emissions, and recycling infrastructure rather than microplastic contamination or health risks.
A Megacity-Scale Analysis of Sludge Managementand Carbon Footprint in China
This analysis of sludge management and carbon footprint across Shanghai's 42 wastewater treatment plants found that the city produces more sludge per capita than other Chinese regions. Managing sludge effectively is important because sludge can contain concentrated microplastics removed from wastewater during treatment.
Microplastics in wastewater treatment plants and their contributions to surface water and farmland pollution in China
Researchers examined microplastic abundance in sewage and sludge at Shenzhen wastewater treatment plants, estimating that annual microplastic loading from WWTPs to surface water and farmland soil across China is substantial. WWTPs concentrate microplastics in sludge, which then becomes a major pathway for plastic contamination of agricultural land when applied as fertilizer.
Distribution characteristics of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants in mega cities–the case study of Chengdu City
Researchers studied microplastic distribution and removal across wastewater treatment plant processes in China, finding that WWTPs intercept large quantities of MPs before discharge but that residual concentrations in effluent still represent a significant pathway for environmental MP release.
Microplastic sampling strategies in urban drainage systems for quantification of urban emissions based on transport pathways
Researchers developed and applied microplastic sampling strategies across an entire urban municipal catchment under both dry and wet weather conditions, finding that wastewater treatment plants remove over 96% of microplastics but still emit 189 kg per year, while wet-weather emissions from high-traffic subcatchments reached 1,952 grams per population equivalent per year, far exceeding dry-weather levels.
Occurrence and Characteristics of Microplastics in a Wastewater Treatment Plant
Researchers sampled the inflow, outflow, and sludge of a Chinese wastewater treatment plant, finding up to 44 microplastic particles per liter in incoming water — mostly polyester fibers. The plant removed about 96% of microplastics, but the remaining fraction was still discharged into receiving waterways.
Microplastics divert carbon flow in anaerobic digestion: a meta-analysis reveals product-specific effects
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 55 studies and found that microplastics do not simply inhibit anaerobic digestion but redirect carbon flow within it — suppressing methane production while boosting volatile fatty acid accumulation — with the direction and magnitude of effects determined by polymer type, concentration, size, and temperature.
Effects of microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities in sediment of freshwater systems
Researchers found that PET microplastics of different sizes significantly affected greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities in freshwater sediments, with smaller particles (5 micrometers) notably increasing methane emissions and altering nutrient cycling over 90 days.
Environmental impact of microplastic emissions from wastewater treatment plant through life cycle assessment
Researchers used life cycle assessment to quantify the environmental impact of microplastic emissions from wastewater treatment plants. They found that microplastics accounted for 94% of the total ecotoxicity impact at the midpoint level, surpassing heavy metals and nutrients by at least two orders of magnitude, with polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene identified as the most impactful polymer types.
Effects of microplastics on sedimentary greenhouse gas emissions and underlying microbiome-mediated mechanisms: A comparison of sediments from distinct altitudes
Researchers compared how PVC and polylactic acid microplastics affect greenhouse gas emissions from river sediments at different altitudes along the Yellow River. The study found that both types of microplastics increased carbon dioxide emissions by promoting the growth of organic-matter-degrading microbes, while PVC specifically boosted nitrous oxide emissions by enriching denitrifying bacteria.
Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent: a case study of Guangzhou, China
This study quantified microplastics in the effluent of a large wastewater treatment plant in Guangzhou, China, finding that the plant releases hundreds of millions of microplastic particles per day despite removing most particles during treatment. Even highly efficient wastewater treatment plants are a significant ongoing source of microplastics entering rivers and coastal waters.
Impact of microplastics on riverine greenhouse gas emissions: a view point
This viewpoint examines how microplastic accumulation in rivers may alter microbial communities and disrupt biogeochemical cycles, potentially increasing greenhouse gas emissions such as methane and nitrous oxide from riverine ecosystems, identifying this as a critical but underexplored consequence of freshwater microplastic pollution.
Paradigm shifts and current challenges in wastewater management.
This bibliometric review of global wastewater research identifies microplastics as an emerging contaminant of increasing concern in wastewater systems worldwide. The review highlights that microplastic removal from wastewater remains a major unsolved challenge and that treatment plants are currently significant pathways for microplastics entering the environment.
Measuring Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Water Resource Recovery Facilities Workshop Report
Researchers convened a workshop bringing together water utilities, national laboratories, and government agencies to identify challenges and opportunities in measuring life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from water resource recovery facilities.
Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastics Facilitate Nitrous Oxide Production in Partial Nitritation Systems
Researchers found that PVC microplastics in wastewater treatment systems can increase the production of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas. Higher concentrations of these plastic particles disrupted normal nitrogen-processing activity, while lower doses had minimal effect on overall system performance.