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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Fate of polylactic acid microplastics during anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste: Insights on property changes, released dissolved organic matters, and biofilm formation
ClearThe microbial response to biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics during anaerobic fermentation of waste activated sludge
Polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics — often assumed to be benign because they are 'biodegradable' — were found to inhibit the breakdown of organic matter in wastewater sludge by 5–18%, disrupting microbial communities and key enzymes. The result challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are environmentally safe once they enter wastewater treatment systems.
Biopolymers modulate microbial communities in municipal organic waste digestion
Researchers investigated how biopolymers (bio-based plastics) affect microbial communities and process outcomes when co-treated with municipal organic waste in anaerobic digestion and composting systems. They found that biopolymers can alter microbial community structure, raising questions about their persistence and biodegradability in waste treatment.
Digestate Quality Originating from Kitchen Waste
This review examines how plastic contaminants — including conventional microplastics and supposedly biodegradable bioplastics — affect the quality of digestate produced from kitchen waste in anaerobic digestion. Key findings are that most bioplastics do not reliably degrade in anaerobic conditions, that microplastics are difficult to identify and measure in food waste inputs, and that contaminated digestate applied to agricultural land becomes a vector for spreading microplastics into soil. The paper highlights a critical but overlooked gap between the promises of 'biodegradable' plastics and their real-world performance.
Anaerobic Degradation of Aromatic and Aliphatic Biodegradable Plastics: Potential Mechanisms and Pathways.
This study examined how biodegradable plastics — PBAT and PLA — break down under anaerobic conditions in digestion systems, finding that microbial communities degrade them through distinct biochemical pathways. Understanding how biodegradable plastics decompose in real-world conditions like landfills and wastewater treatment is important for evaluating whether they truly degrade safely.
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, effect, and fate of residual microplastics in anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge: A state-of-the-art review
This review assessed the occurrence, behavior, and fate of microplastics in anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge, finding that MPs survive digestion largely intact but can affect methane production and microbial community composition, and that digestate land application remains a major pathway for releasing sludge-retained MPs to soil.
Fate of a biobased polymer via high-solid anaerobic co-digestion with food waste and following aerobic treatment: Insights on changes of polymer physicochemical properties and the role of microbial and fungal communities
PBAT/PLA biopolymer bags were co-digested with food waste in an anaerobic digestion plant and then subjected to aerobic composting, with only partial degradation achieved under both conditions and the remaining polymer fragments altering microbial community composition, raising questions about bioplastic end-of-life claims.
Effect of digestion system on microstructures of microplastics from biodegradable polyesters and impact of these microplastics on microorganisms in digestion system
Researchers systematically examined how the digestive system alters the surface microstructure and chemical composition of biodegradable microplastics (including PBAT and PLA products), and reciprocally how these bio-microplastics affect probiotics and other digestive microorganisms, finding that both virgin and UV-aged biodegradable plastics interact with the gut environment.
Deciphering the role of microplastic size on anaerobic sludge digestion: Changes of dissolved organic matter, leaching compounds and microbial community
Researchers found that microplastic particle size significantly influences dissolved organic matter composition, leaching of additives, and microbial community structure during anaerobic sludge digestion, with smaller PVC microplastics causing greater disruption to the digestion process.
Polystyrene nanoplastics shape microbiome and functional metabolism in anaerobic digestion
Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics affect the microbial communities and biochemical processes in anaerobic digestion systems used for waste treatment. They found that nanoplastics had a more disruptive effect than microplastics, significantly altering the composition and metabolic functions of the microbial community. The study suggests that plastic contamination in waste streams could reduce the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, a widely used waste processing technology.
Insight into effects of polyethylene microplastics in anaerobic digestion systems of waste activated sludge: Interactions of digestion performance, microbial communities and antibiotic resistance genes
Polyethylene microplastics in anaerobic digestion systems processing waste activated sludge increased hydrolysis efficiency at 1 mm particle sizes but also altered microbial community composition and enriched antibiotic resistance genes. The findings suggest that MPs in sludge management pose risks for spreading ARGs through land application of digested biosolids.
Differential effects of petroleum-based and bio-based microplastics on anaerobic digestion: A review
This review compared the effects of petroleum-based and bio-based microplastics on anaerobic digestion processes, finding that both types can inhibit microbial activity and alter digestion performance, with the relative impacts depending on plastic polymer type and concentration.
Microbial Degradation of Polylactic Acid Bioplastic
This review covers how microorganisms degrade polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic under different environmental conditions. Understanding PLA biodegradation is important for assessing whether PLA products actually break down as intended in real-world environments rather than persisting as microplastics.
Fate and effect of Polyamide-6 microplastics in mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion
This study examined the fate and impact of polyamide-6 microplastics during mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion, finding that digestion temperature affects polymer degradation rates and that microplastics influence methane production and microbial communities.
Characterization of HDPE microparticles in sludge aerobic digestion and their influence on the process
Researchers characterized high-density polyethylene microparticles in sludge from aerobic digesters, examining their size distribution, shape, and surface properties before and after treatment. The study provides data on how microplastics behave in biological sludge treatment and what fraction persists through the process.
Microplastic Generation and Persistence of Biodegradable Plastics under Anaerobic Conditions
Scientists tested how well "biodegradable" plastics actually break down in oxygen-free environments like landfills and found that many don't degrade as expected. Instead, several types of these supposedly eco-friendly plastics break apart into tiny plastic particles called microplastics that stick around for a long time. This matters because these microplastics can end up in our food and water, and we're still learning about their potential health effects.
Hydrolyzable microplastics in soil—low biodegradation but formation of a specific microbial habitat?
Hydrolyzable microplastics such as polylactic acid showed low biodegradation in soil despite their marketed degradability, while their surfaces hosted distinct microbial communities forming a specialized plastisphere. The study questions the environmental safety of biodegradable plastics in agricultural soil contexts.
Microplastic Behavior in Sludge Pretreatment and Anaerobic Digestion: Impacts, Mechanistic Insights, and Mitigation Strategies
This review examines how microplastics behave during sludge pretreatment and anaerobic digestion, finding that microplastics frequently persist through these processes and can affect methane production and microbial communities when present at elevated concentrations, calling for mitigation strategies in wastewater treatment.
MicrobialPhysiologicalAdaptation to BiodegradableMicroplastics Drives the Transformation and Reactivity of DissolvedOrganic Matter in Soil
Researchers added virgin and aged polylactic acid and polyhydroxyalkanoate microplastics to agricultural soils and found that microbial physiological adaptation to biodegradable plastics significantly altered the transformation and reactivity of dissolved organic matter over a 56-day incubation period.
Can anaerobic digestion be a suitable end-of-life scenario for biodegradable plastics? A critical review of the current situation, hurdles, and challenges
Researchers reviewed the feasibility of anaerobic digestion (AD) as an end-of-life treatment for biodegradable plastics, identifying process parameters, microbial communities, and pretreatment strategies that influence degradation rates and arguing that AD deserves more research attention alongside industrial composting.