Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics accumulation on performance of membrane bioreactor for wastewater treatment

Researchers simulated the long-term accumulation of polypropylene microplastics in membrane bioreactors used for wastewater treatment. They found that while microplastic accumulation did not reduce the removal of key pollutants like COD and ammonia nitrogen, it did increase membrane fouling and alter the composition of microbial communities in the reactor. The study suggests that microplastic buildup in wastewater treatment systems may affect operational efficiency over time.

2021 Chemosphere 77 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

Effect of polypropylene microplastics on the performance of membrane bioreactors in wastewater treatment

Researchers studied how polypropylene microplastics affect membrane bioreactors, a type of wastewater treatment system. They found that while these systems can effectively filter out microplastics, higher concentrations and smaller particle sizes caused membrane clogging and reduced treatment efficiency over time, which is important for designing better wastewater treatment facilities.

2025 Environmental Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Fouling behavior of nano/microplastics and COD, TOC, and TN removal in MBR: A comparative study

This study tested a membrane bioreactor (MBR) — a combination of biological treatment and membrane filtration used in wastewater plants — for its ability to remove nano- and microplastics from wastewater. The system achieved 99.4% removal of organic pollutants and complete removal of nanoplastics, and found that more hydrophilic membranes were better at capturing microplastics. The study also examined how microplastics foul and clog membranes over time, which is a practical challenge for wastewater treatment operations. These results support MBRs as a promising technology for reducing microplastic discharges from treatment plants into waterways.

2025 Water Environment Research 1 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

Microplastics affect membrane biofouling and microbial communities during gravity-driven membrane filtration of primary wastewater

Researchers investigated how microplastics of different sizes and concentrations affect gravity-driven membrane filtration systems used for decentralized wastewater treatment. The study found that microplastics reduced permeate flux by 9 to 54% and altered biofilm microbial communities on the membrane surface, potentially compromising treatment performance.

2024 Chemosphere 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Remediation of Micro- and Nanoplastics by Membrane Technologies

This review examined how membrane filtration technologies can remove micro- and nanoplastics from water and wastewater, since conventional treatment plants cannot fully eliminate these particles. Researchers found that techniques like ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and membrane bioreactors are highly effective at capturing microplastics, though each has trade-offs related to cost, fouling, and energy use. The study also raises the concern that polymeric membranes themselves could potentially release plastic particles during the filtration process.

2025 Membranes 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of membrane surface after the filtration of surface water containing microplastic

Researchers tested ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes on real river water containing microplastics and found both membrane types completely removed plastic particles from the filtered water, though the deposited microplastics reduced water flow through the membranes over time — confirming membrane filtration as an effective but imperfect water treatment strategy.

2025 Desalination and Water Treatment 2 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

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

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

Impact of Nano- and Microplastics on Membrane Technology Performance

This thesis investigated the influence of model microplastic fibers on membrane technologies used in wastewater treatment, specifically crossflow ultrafiltration and membrane bioreactor systems, finding that microplastics minimally affected performance during the initial start-up phase. The findings suggest these membrane technologies are relatively resilient to microplastic contamination in early operation.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Membrane Processes for Microplastic Removal

This review evaluates the use of membrane technologies for removing microplastics and nanoplastics from wastewater treatment plant effluents. Researchers found that while membrane bioreactors show promise, most existing membrane approaches are still insufficient for comprehensive microplastic removal, especially for the smallest particles. The study suggests that specially designed membrane systems are needed as advanced tertiary treatment to prevent microplastic discharge into waterways.

2019 Molecules 316 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-term impacts of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics in membrane bioreactor

Researchers evaluated the long-term impact of PET microplastics on membrane bioreactor performance for wastewater treatment. The study found that while biological removal efficiency remained largely unaffected, the accumulation of PET particles adversely impacted sludge settling and dewatering properties and increased extracellular polymer production, suggesting long-term operational concerns for treatment facilities.

2022 Journal of Environmental Management 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging contaminants in wastewater treatment: the effect of microplastics in an Integrated Fixed-film Activated Sludge (IFAS) Membrane BioReactor (MBR)

Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of an Integrated Fixed-film Activated Sludge membrane bioreactor pilot system for removing microplastics from wastewater, comparing it to conventional secondary sedimentation in the context of growing recognition of microplastics as a priority emerging contaminant.

2025 Bioresource Technology Reports
Article Tier 2

Purifying or polluting? Tracing membrane-based microplastics release for long-term drinking water safety

This study investigated whether the polymeric membranes used in drinking water filtration systems might themselves release microplastics, and researchers found that chemical cleaning and pre-oxidation treatments significantly increased particle shedding. Most released particles were in the concerning 1-to-5 micrometer size range, though the research also identified operating conditions under which membrane systems remain effective net purifiers over time.

2025 Water Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

An evaluation of microplastics fate in the wastewater treatment plants: frequency and removal of microplastics by microfiltration membrane

This study assessed microplastic removal efficiency at a wastewater treatment plant in Iran and tested microfiltration membrane performance, finding that the membrane significantly improved microplastic removal beyond conventional treatment steps.

2021 Water Practice & Technology 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic accumulation on floc characteristics and fouling behavior in a membrane bioreactor

Researchers found that accumulating microplastics in membrane bioreactors over 124 days decreased sludge floc size, floc hydrophobicity, and extracellular polymeric substance molecular size while increasing EPS concentration and negative surface charge, altering microbial community composition and increasing membrane fouling severity.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Preventing Microplastic Release into Oceans through Wastewater Treatment Technologies.

Comparing immersed and sidestream membrane bioreactors for microplastic removal from wastewater, this analysis found membrane bioreactors more efficient than conventional treatment, identifying them as a key technology to prevent microplastic release to oceans.

2024 Science and Technology of Engineering Chemistry and Environmental Protection
Review Tier 2

A review of microplastic removal from water and wastewater by membrane technologies

This review examines how membrane filtration technologies can remove microplastics from drinking water and wastewater. Researchers found that advanced membranes like nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and membrane bioreactors are among the most effective methods for capturing microplastic particles that conventional treatment plants miss. The study compares membrane approaches with other removal methods and discusses the challenges of membrane fouling caused by microplastic accumulation.

2023 Water Science & Technology 146 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Polypropylene Particle Contaminants Using Membrane Technology to Mitigate Microplastics Pollution in the Environment

Researchers tested the ability of different membrane types to remove polypropylene microplastic particles from water, evaluating separation efficiency under varying conditions. Membranes achieved high removal rates for particles above a threshold size, with performance depending on membrane pore size, material, and operating pressure.

2025 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics on performance of sequencing-batch membrane bioreactor for simulated municipal wastewater treatment

Researchers assessed the impact of PET microplastics on a sequencing-batch membrane bioreactor treating simulated municipal wastewater and found that PET MPs altered microbial community composition, reduced treatment efficiency at higher concentrations, and increased membrane fouling. The study highlights risks to wastewater infrastructure from microplastic contamination.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the effects of polyethylene and polyester microplastics on biofilm formation, membrane Fouling, and microbial communities in Modified Ludzack-Ettinger-Reciprocation membrane bioreactors

Researchers investigated how polyethylene pellets and polyester fibers affect membrane bioreactor performance in wastewater treatment. They found that PE pellets increased membrane fouling rates 2-3 times faster, while polyester fibers reduced nitrate removal efficiency from 99.6% to 90.9% and decreased beneficial denitrifying bacteria. The study also found that microplastics in treatment systems can harbor pathogens and alter microbial community structures.

2024 Bioresource Technology 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative Study of Membrane Fouling with Aeration Shear Stress in Filtration of Different Substances

Not relevant to microplastics — this engineering study measures how aeration shear stress affects membrane fouling rates in membrane bioreactor filtration systems using humic acid and yeast as model foulants, with no connection to plastic particles.

2023 Membranes 6 citations