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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Removal Potential of Microplastics in Organic Solid Wastes via Biological Treatment Approaches
ClearVermicomposting as a potential strategy for microplastic reduction in organic waste: mini review
This review evaluates vermicomposting as a biological approach for reducing microplastic contamination in organic waste streams. Researchers found evidence that earthworms can physically fragment and partially break down certain types of microplastics during the composting process, though effects on earthworm health vary by plastic type and concentration. The study suggests that vermicomposting shows promise as a strategy for mitigating microplastic contamination in compost, but more research is needed on long-term impacts.
Microplastics generation and concentration during mechanical-biological treatment of mixed municipal solid waste
Researchers found that mechanical-biological treatment of mixed municipal solid waste generates and concentrates microplastics across multiple processing stages, with the stabilized organic output containing significant microplastic loads — raising concerns about the use of this material as compost or soil amendment.
Review on advances in toxic pollutants remediation by solid waste composting and vermicomposting
Researchers review how composting and vermicomposting — using earthworms and microbes to break down organic waste — can neutralize heavy metals and persistent chemical pollutants in solid waste streams. Notably, earthworms have been found to break microplastics down into even smaller nanoplastics during digestion, raising new questions about whether vermicomposting spreads rather than eliminates plastic contamination.
Distribution characteristics of microplastics in typical organic solid wastes and their biologically treated products
Researchers extracted and characterized microplastics from food waste, livestock manure, sludge, and their composted or digested products, finding MPs in all organic waste types with concentrations varying by matrix. The study highlights organic waste management pathways as an understudied route for microplastic transfer to agricultural soils.
Microplastics contamination associated with low-value domestic source organic solid waste: A review
This review examines how microplastics contaminate domestic organic solid wastes — particularly sewage sludge and food waste — and traces their migration pathways through biological and thermal treatment processes, landfills, and soil application.
Microplastics as an underestimated emerging contaminant in solid organic waste and their biological products: Occurrence, fate and ecological risks
This review identified solid organic waste streams including compost, sewage sludge, and food waste as important but underappreciated repositories of microplastics that can reintroduce particles into agricultural soils and water systems. The authors call for standardized monitoring of microplastics in organic waste before environmental application.
Composting as a Sustainable Solution for Organic Solid Waste Management: Current Practices and Potential Improvements
This systematic review of composting practices finds that technological advances like microbial inoculants and in-vessel systems have improved efficiency, but managing contaminants such as heavy metals and microplastics in compost remains a significant challenge. The presence of microplastics in organic waste streams threatens compost quality and can introduce plastic pollution into agricultural soils.
Removal of Microplastics from Wastewater by Biological Process
This review assesses biological treatment processes for microplastic removal from wastewater, covering microbial degradation, biofilm-mediated capture, and enzymatic breakdown, and discussing how these processes can complement physical and chemical treatment steps.
Microplastics identification and quantification in the composted Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste
Researchers quantified microplastics in composted organic municipal solid waste from five facilities, finding contamination levels that raise concerns about compost quality and the potential transfer of microplastics to agricultural soils through organic waste recycling.
Overcoming micro/nanoplastics-induced inhibition in anaerobic digestion: Advances in remediation techniques
This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics inhibit anaerobic digestion performance — reducing biogas yield and organic removal — and surveys remediation strategies including physical, chemical, and biological approaches to overcome their disruptive effects in waste treatment systems.
The removal of microplastics in the wastewater treatment process and their potential impact on anaerobic digestion due to pollutants association
A review of microplastics in wastewater treatment found that while treatment processes transfer most microplastics from water into sludge, this concentrated plastic material then carries adsorbed pollutants like antibiotics and heavy metals into anaerobic digestion systems. The desorption behavior of these toxic compounds from microplastics under digestion conditions is identified as a key determinant of whether sludge treatment remains effective and safe.
Various Digestion Protocols Within Microplastic Sample Processing—Evaluating the Resistance of Different Synthetic Polymers and the Efficiency of Biogenic Organic Matter Destruction
Multiple organic matter digestion protocols used in microplastic sample preparation were systematically evaluated for their effectiveness in removing biogenic material while preserving plastic particles. The review helps standardize sample processing by identifying which digestion chemicals and conditions work best for different environmental matrices.
Microplastics in different municipal solid waste treatment and disposal systems: Do they pose environmental risks?
This review summarizes how microplastics behave in different waste treatment systems, including landfills, composting facilities, and incinerators. The researchers found that all of these systems can release microplastics into surrounding soil, water, and air, posing ecological risks. The findings highlight that even our waste management methods are contributing to microplastic pollution, which can ultimately affect human exposure.
Exploring the Potential of Hydrothermal Treatment for Microplastics Removal in Digestate
Researchers explored hydrothermal treatment as a method to remove microplastics from digestate -- the organic residue from anaerobic digestion that is widely applied to agricultural land. Hydrothermal treatment effectively degraded microplastics present in the digestate, offering a processing step that could reduce microplastic loading in biosolids before land application.
Extraction, characterisation and remediation of microplastics from organic solid matrices
This review examined methods for extracting, characterizing, and remediating microplastics from organic solid matrices, addressing the challenges of detecting microplastics in complex environmental media and evaluating current remediation strategies.
Vermicomposting leads to more abundant microplastics in the municipal excess sludge
Researchers found that vermicomposting of municipal excess sludge leads to increased microplastic concentrations in the treated material compared to the input sludge, raising concerns that this widely-used organic amendment technology may concentrate and spread microplastic contamination in soils.
Impact of micro-nanoplastics on biochemical phases of anaerobic digestion in sewage sludge treatment: mechanistic insights and future prospects
Micro- and nanoplastics were found to disrupt the biochemical phases of anaerobic digestion, affecting the efficiency of the biological process used to treat organic waste. Understanding these impacts is important because anaerobic digestion is a common wastewater and sludge treatment method that may both receive and process microplastic-contaminated materials.
Occurrence of macroplastics and microplastics in biogenic waste digestate: Effects of depackaging at source and dewatering process
Researchers investigated plastic debris in digestate from anaerobic digestion of biogenic waste, finding that both preprocessing and dewatering steps significantly influence the quantity of macroplastics and microplastics in the resulting material used as a soil conditioner.
Compost‐Hosted Microplastics – Municipal Solid Waste Compost
This review examines microplastics hosted in municipal solid waste compost, addressing a gap in research that has largely focused on marine ecosystems, and discussing the sources, prevalence, and potential impacts of microplastics in compost on terrestrial ecosystems, agriculture, and soil health.
The treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) as a possible source of micro- and nano-plastics and bioplastics in agroecosystems: a review
Researchers reviewed how treating municipal organic waste — like food scraps — for compost and fertilizer introduces micro- and nanoplastics, including fragments of biodegradable plastics, into farmland soils, with current data too limited to fully assess the contamination risk of applying this waste to agricultural fields.
Preliminary prospections on the fate of microplastics during vermicomposting of sewage sludge
Researchers tracked microplastic abundance through the vermicomposting stages of sewage sludge — from fresh sludge through aged sludge, vermicompost, and earthworm castings — finding a 52% reduction in microplastic concentration from initial sludge to vermicompost when particles were classified by size, color, and polymer type using micro-Raman spectroscopy.
Preliminary prospections on the fate of microplastics during vermicomposting of sewage sludge
Researchers tracked microplastic abundance through the vermicomposting stages of sewage sludge — from fresh sludge through aged sludge, vermicompost, and earthworm castings — finding a 52% reduction in microplastic concentration from initial sludge to vermicompost when particles were classified by size, color, and polymer type using micro-Raman spectroscopy.
Microplastics in anaerobic digestion: occurrence, impact, and mitigation strategies
This review examines the presence and impact of microplastics within anaerobic digestion systems used to process sewage sludge and organic waste. Researchers found that microplastics enter these systems through diverse waste inputs and may affect biogas production, microbial community composition, and overall process performance. The study highlights the need for further research into how microplastics interact with anaerobic digestion and what mitigation strategies could minimize their interference.
Composting of Organic Solid Waste of Municipal Origin: The Role of Research in Enhancing Its Sustainability
This review examines the role of composting in managing the organic fraction of municipal solid waste, highlighting both its benefits for material recovery and its challenges. Researchers found that issues such as the presence of microplastics and other toxic substances in compost can undermine the circularity of the process. The study suggests that continued research is needed to improve composting practices and reduce contaminant transfer to agricultural soils.