Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Microplastics profile in constructed wetlands: Distribution, retention and implications

This study assessed microplastic distribution, retention, and implications within constructed wetlands used for wastewater treatment, finding that wetlands trap substantial quantities of MPs but that retention efficiency varies by plant species and wetland design. The results suggest constructed wetlands both remove and potentially accumulate MPs as a secondary pollution source.

2022 Environmental Pollution 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate and removal of microplastics in unplanted lab-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands

Laboratory-scale unplanted vertical flow constructed wetlands were shown to remove microplastics from wastewater, with removal efficiency influenced by particle size, shape, and flow rate, highlighting constructed wetlands as a nature-based option for microplastic mitigation.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 86 citations
Article Tier 2

The fate of microplastics from municipal wastewater in a surface flow treatment wetland

Researchers investigated microplastic retention in a full-scale surface flow treatment wetland receiving municipal wastewater, measuring microplastic concentrations in inflow, outflow, and atmospheric deposition, and finding significant retention within the wetland. Treatment wetlands represent a potential nature-based solution for reducing microplastic discharge to receiving water bodies.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and removal of microplastics in a horizontal sub-surface flow laboratory constructed wetland and their effects on the treatment efficiency

Researchers investigated microplastic retention in a laboratory-scale constructed wetland, finding that the wetland effectively captured microbeads and fibers while examining how accumulated microplastics affected the treatment efficiency for carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal.

2023 Chemical Engineering Journal 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Identification in Domestic Wastewater-Treating Constructed Wetlands and Its Potential Usage in a Circular Economy

Researchers identified and characterized microplastics in constructed wetlands used for treating domestic wastewater, finding MP accumulation in the substrate and plants and assessing how well these nature-based treatment systems retain plastic particles before effluent is discharged.

2025 Processes
Article Tier 2

The fate of microplastics/nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) in constructed wetlands: Addressing methodological gaps and experimental challenges from lab-scale to full-scale

This review examines the effectiveness of constructed wetlands for removing micro- and nanoplastics from water, comparing laboratory and full-scale results. Researchers found that while constructed wetlands show promising removal capabilities, the unique physical and chemical properties of plastic particles mean that lab-scale efficiencies may differ significantly from real-world performance, highlighting the need for more field-scale studies.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Retention of microplastics by interspersed lagoons in both natural and constructed wetlands

Researchers used laboratory wetland models to test how well constructed wetlands with interspersed lagoons and aquatic vegetation can capture microplastic particles from water. Combining vegetated patches with a lagoon achieved microplastic retention rates of up to 99%, suggesting that nature-based wetland designs could be an effective low-cost strategy for filtering microplastics out of wastewater and rivers before they reach the ocean.

2023 Journal of Water Process Engineering 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport and fate of microplastics in constructed wetlands: A microcosm study

This study tested microplastic removal in constructed wetlands using different particle shapes and sizes, finding 81.6% removal in surface flow systems and 100% removal in horizontal subsurface flow systems, with biofilm attachment and physical filtration as key retention mechanisms.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 144 citations
Article Tier 2

Horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands as tertiary treatment: Can they be an efficient barrier for microplastics pollution?

Horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetlands used as tertiary wastewater treatment removed 88% of microplastics from secondary effluent, contributing to an overall 98% reduction across the full treatment plant. Macroinvertebrates living in the wetland also ingested microplastics, suggesting biological uptake plays a role in plastic retention within the wetland ecosystem.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 155 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics removal and characteristics of a typical multi-combination and multi-stage constructed wetlands wastewater treatment plant in Changsha, China

Researchers evaluated microplastic removal efficiency in a multi-stage constructed wetland wastewater treatment plant in China, finding that the combined treatment processes achieved significant microplastic reduction across successive stages, with constructed wetlands proving effective as a polishing step for microplastic removal.

2022 Chemosphere 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Plant Based Application for Microplastic Removal in Constructed Wetlands: A Mini Review

This mini-review examines how wetland plants in constructed wetlands capture and degrade microplastics through physical entrapment, root-zone interactions, and microbial activity, assessing operational factors that determine removal efficiency.

2025 NIPES Journal of Science and Technology Research
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in a Large Constructed Wetland: Retention, Transport, and Characteristics

This study examined microplastic dynamics in a large constructed wetland, finding that the wetland acts as a net sink for microplastics with retention varying by particle size and shape, and identifying flow velocity as a key driver of transport behavior.

2024 Environmental Engineering Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance, characteristics, and removal of microplastics in the Cihu Lake-wetland microcosm system

This study evaluated how well a multi-stage constructed wetland system could remove microplastics from wastewater treatment plant effluent, finding a total removal rate of 94.7%. Horizontal subsurface flow wetlands were particularly effective, and physical filtration through the wetland substrate was identified as the dominant removal mechanism. The findings suggest that constructed wetlands are a promising nature-based solution for reducing microplastic discharge into aquatic environments.

2023 Water Science & Technology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic removal and risk assessment framework in a constructed wetland for the treatment of combined sewer overflows

Researchers assessed microplastic removal performance in a full-scale constructed wetland treating combined sewer overflows and developed a risk assessment framework for these events. They found that the wetland effectively reduced microplastic concentrations, though removal rates varied across different overflow events. The study provides evidence that constructed wetlands can serve as a practical nature-based solution for mitigating microplastic pollution from urban sewer systems.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of wastewater treatment process on pollution characteristics and fate of microplastics

Researchers investigated microplastic abundance and removal efficiency across four wastewater treatment plants using different treatment technologies, finding influent concentrations between 539 and 1,290 particles per liter that were reduced substantially by primary and secondary treatment. Smaller microplastic particles proved hardest to remove and most likely to persist in final effluent.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Effectiveness of conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants in microplastics removal: Insights from multiple analytical techniques

Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants in removing microplastics across multiple treatment stages, finding removal efficiencies of 70–90% but documenting that billions of particles still pass through in final effluent daily.

2025 Journal of Environmental Sciences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal characteristics of microplastics in sewage flowing through a long-term operation surface flow wetland

A 17-year-old surface flow constructed wetland was found to remove 48–92% of microplastics from sewage depending on season, with fibers and PET dominating and concentrations peaking in summer and winter due to seasonal clothing habits. The results show that natural wetland-style treatment systems can meaningfully reduce microplastic loads in wastewater, though removal efficiency varies significantly with season.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and Removal of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Perspectives on Shape, Type, and Density

Researchers compiled data from multiple countries on microplastic removal efficiency across different stages of wastewater treatment plants. They found that removal rates varied widely, from 48% in some facilities to over 90% in others, depending on the treatment technologies employed. The study suggests that while conventional wastewater treatment can capture a significant portion of microplastics, advanced tertiary treatment methods are needed to further reduce discharge into the environment.

2024 Water 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, Characteristics, and Removal of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants

This review summarizes the occurrence, characteristics, and removal efficiency of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants, highlighting how these facilities simultaneously act as sinks trapping microplastics and as sources releasing them into surrounding aquatic and terrestrial environments.

2025
Article Tier 2

[Effect of Free Water Surface Constructed Wetland on the Occurrence Characteristics of Microplastics in Water in the Upper Reaches of the Erhai Lake].

Researchers investigated how free water surface constructed wetlands in the Luoshijiang Watershed (upper reaches of Erhai Lake) affect the occurrence and transport characteristics of microplastics in water, sampling five wetland sites to characterize microplastic abundance, morphology, polymer type, and removal efficiency across the wetland system.

2024 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of microplastic removal efficiency of wastewater-treatment plants in a developing country, Vietnam

Researchers evaluated microplastic removal efficiency at four wastewater treatment plants in Vietnam, finding removal rates of 92-99% but substantial daily microplastic loads still entering receiving waters through effluent discharge.

2023 Environmental Technology & Innovation 59 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Recent advances towards micro(nano)plastics research in wetland ecosystems: A systematic review on sources, removal, and ecological impacts

Wetland ecosystems act as important sinks for micro- and nanoplastics, which were found to cause ecotoxicological effects on wetland plants, animals, and microbial communities, including shifts in microbial composition relevant to pollutant removal. Micro/nanoplastics exposure also affected conventional pollutant removal efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions from wetland systems.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Does parental exposure to nanoplastics modulate the response of Hediste diversicolor to other contaminants: A case study with arsenic

This study evaluated the effectiveness of constructed wetlands in removing microplastics from wastewater, finding removal efficiencies ranging from 49 to 99% depending on wetland design and particle size. Larger particles were more readily captured than smaller fibers.

2022 Environmental Research 8 citations
Article Tier 2

The Occurrence and Removal of Microplastics from Stormwater Using Green Infrastructure

This review examines microplastic occurrence in urban stormwater and the potential of green infrastructure — particularly bioretention systems and constructed wetlands — to capture and remove plastic particles before they reach surface water bodies.

2025 Water 3 citations