Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Membrane fouling characteristics and mechanisms in coagulation-ultrafiltration process for treating microplastic-containing water

This study investigated how microplastics affect membrane fouling during a common water treatment process that combines coagulation with ultrafiltration. Researchers found that while microplastics initially worsen membrane fouling, adding the right amount of coagulant can actually turn the plastics into an advantage by creating a looser filter cake that improves water flow.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent advances on micro/nanoplastic pollution and membrane fouling during water treatment: A review

Researchers reviewed recent advances in understanding how micro- and nanoplastics contribute to membrane fouling during water treatment processes. The study found that while membrane separation effectively removes microplastics from wastewater effluent, fouling caused by plastic particles along with dissolved organics and extracellular polymers remains a key obstacle, and understanding the fouling mechanisms is critical for improving treatment efficiency.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Membrane Technologies at the Frontier: A Review of Advanced Solutions for Microplastics and Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater

This review evaluates advanced membrane-based technologies for removing microplastics and emerging contaminants from wastewater, covering mechanisms such as size exclusion, adsorption, and biodegradation. Researchers identified membrane fouling as the primary constraint on operational efficiency, with different fouling types contributing to reduced water flow and increased energy costs. The study outlines future directions including intelligent membranes, AI-driven monitoring systems, and circular economy approaches to sustainable wastewater treatment.

2026 Environments
Article Tier 2

Towards microplastics contribution for membrane biofouling and disinfection by-products precursors: The effect on microbes

Researchers found that microplastics in raw water increased microbial growth and altered community composition during ultrafiltration, promoting extracellular polymer production that accelerated membrane fouling and elevated disinfection by-product formation in treated water.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 44 citations
Article Tier 2

An assessment of the impact of structure and type of microplastics on ultrafiltration technology for microplastic remediation

Researchers assessed ultrafiltration technology for microplastic removal from water, finding that membrane performance varied based on microplastic structure, size, and polymer type, with implications for optimizing tertiary treatment in water purification systems.

2023 Science Progress 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Coagulation/Flocculation-Ultrafiltration Optimization in Drinking Water Treatment

This study optimized coagulation and flocculation conditions prior to ultrafiltration in drinking water treatment to better remove organic matter and reduce membrane fouling. Improved drinking water treatment also enhances the removal of microplastics that would otherwise pass through to treated tap water.

2023 TSpace
Article Tier 2

Fate and Behavior of Microplastics in Ultrafiltration Membrane Systems for Water Treatment: Fouling, Releasing, and Organic Leaching

Researchers investigated the fate and behavior of microplastics in ultrafiltration membrane systems used for water treatment, examining three key phenomena: membrane fouling caused by microplastic deposition, release of microplastics through membrane failure or bypass, and leaching of organic additives from microplastics. The work provides mechanistic understanding of how microplastics interact with ultrafiltration systems in drinking water treatment contexts.

2025 National University of Singapore
Article Tier 2

Advancements in Sustainable Membrane Technologies for Enhanced Remediation and Wastewater Treatment: A Comprehensive Review

This review covers membrane filtration technologies—reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, and ultrafiltration—as methods for removing contaminants from water, with relevance to microplastic and nanoplastic removal from drinking water and wastewater. Advancing membrane-based treatment is critical for reducing the microplastic load in treated water that humans and ecosystems are ultimately exposed to.

2023 Acadlore Transactions on Geosciences 10 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

Review of New Approaches for Fouling Mitigation in Membrane Separation Processes in Water Treatment Applications

This review examined new antifouling strategies for membrane separation processes in water treatment, analyzing how organic matter including nano/microplastics, inorganic particles, and biological matter cause membrane fouling, and evaluating nanomaterial-based and other emerging mitigation approaches.

2021 Separations 140 citations
Article Tier 2

A Brief Review of Treatment Methods for Certain Emerging Contaminants in Domestic and Industrial Effluents

This review summarizes emerging contaminant treatment methods for domestic and industrial effluents, covering advanced oxidation, membrane filtration, adsorption, and biological approaches for removing pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and other persistent pollutants.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable removal of contaminants of emerging concern from wastewater by the living membrane bioreactor: effect of the co-occurrence of microplastics and antibiotics

Researchers investigated a living membrane bioreactor (LMBR) for removing the antibiotic ofloxacin and oxidized polyethylene microplastics from urban wastewater, finding that the biological membrane effectively retained both contaminants of emerging concern and that microplastics acted as antibiotic carriers, with their co-presence influencing overall removal efficiency.

2025 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Análise de técnicas de remediação para a mitigação de micro e nanoplásticos em oceanos com base na revisão da literatura

This review analyzed scientific literature on remediation techniques for removing micro- and nanoplastics from ocean environments, identifying and comparing two key approaches: the first focused on membrane-based methods — ultrafiltration, membrane bioreactors, and dynamic membrane technology — for wastewater treatment, and the second examined nanomaterials as adsorbents. Membrane technologies demonstrated high removal efficiency for micro- and nanoplastics, though each method presents implementation challenges that require further research.

2024
Article Tier 2

Membrane technology as a strategy for microplastics removal from landfill leachate: a review

This review examines how membrane technologies such as ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis can be used to remove microplastics from landfill leachate. Researchers found that these technologies show promise for on-site treatment, though challenges remain in scaling up and managing membrane fouling. The study highlights the importance of addressing microplastic contamination in landfill runoff before it reaches surrounding water bodies.

2024 Water Science & Technology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics fouling and interaction with polymeric membranes: A review

This review examined microplastic fouling of polymeric membranes used in water treatment, analyzing how MPs affect membrane permeability and rejection performance, and discussing strategies — including surface modification and pre-treatment — to mitigate fouling.

2021 Chemosphere 113 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Membrane Fouling by Microplastic Particles in Tertiary Wastewater Treatment Processes

Researchers evaluated membrane fouling caused by microplastic particles during tertiary wastewater treatment, finding that microplastics contributed to fouling through pore blocking and cake layer formation, which reduced membrane performance and treatment efficiency.

2022 ACS ES&T Water 39 citations
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

Ultrafiltration/Granulated Active Carbon-Biofilter: Efficient Removal of a Broad Range of Micropollutants

A treatment system combining membrane bioreactor ultrafiltration with granulated activated carbon (GAC) biofilter was evaluated for removal of pharmaceutical residues and other micropollutants from wastewater, achieving complete removal of all investigated substances including microplastics. The study identifies this two-stage advanced treatment approach as effective for a broad spectrum of micropollutants currently passing through conventional WWTPs.

2019 Applied Sciences 83 citations
Article Tier 2

Membrane fouling mechanisms in the presence of microplastics and organic matter: The unexpected mitigating role of Ca2+

Researchers investigated how microplastics interact with organic matter and calcium ions during ultrafiltration membrane treatment. They found that the order in which calcium ions are added to the system dramatically affects membrane fouling, with pre-mixing calcium and organic matter before adding microplastics reducing fouling by over 90%. The findings reveal an unexpected beneficial role for calcium in mitigating membrane fouling when microplastics and organic matter are present together.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Microplastics from Laundry Wastewater Using Coagulation and Membrane Combination: A Laboratory-Scale Study

Researchers characterized microplastics in raw domestic laundry wastewater (9,000–11,000 particles/L, dominated by polyester fibers) and tested whether combining coagulation with ultrafiltration membrane filtration improved MP removal. The combined process significantly enhanced removal compared to coagulation alone, highlighting laundry wastewater as a major MP source amenable to treatment at scale.

2025 Membranes 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal characteristics of microplastics by Fe-based coagulants during drinking water treatment

The removal of polyethylene microplastics from drinking water was tested with Fe-based coagulants under various conditions, finding that traditional coagulation alone achieved below 15% removal, while coagulation combined with ultrafiltration substantially improved performance. The study identifies the limitations of conventional water treatment for microplastic removal and highlights ultrafiltration as a necessary add-on for effective particle reduction.

2018 Journal of Environmental Sciences 446 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of PET microplastic fibres on PVDF ultrafiltration performance – A short-term assessment of MP fouling in simple and complex matrices

Researchers found that short PET microplastic nanofibers significantly foul polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration membranes in wastewater treatment, with fouling effects amplified when combined with humic acid, highlighting a gap in current wastewater treatment plant removal capabilities.

2022 Chemosphere 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and removal of microplastics by advanced and conventional drinking water treatment facilities

Researchers evaluated the performance of both advanced and conventional drinking water treatment processes for removing microplastics, finding that advanced methods such as ultrafiltration substantially outperform standard coagulation and filtration. Most conventional treatment plants leave a meaningful fraction of microplastics in finished drinking water.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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