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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Integral analysis of hydrodynamic cavitation effects on waste activated sludge characteristics, potentially toxic metals, microorganisms and identification of microplastics
ClearIntegral analysis of hydrodynamic cavitation effects on waste activated sludge characteristics, potentially toxic metals, microorganisms and identification of microplastics
Researchers investigated hydrodynamic cavitation as a pretreatment for waste activated sludge, analyzing its effects on sludge characteristics, toxic metals, microorganisms, and identifying microplastics present in the sludge to improve anaerobic digestion efficiency.
The use of hydrodynamic cavitation for waste-to-energy approach to enhance methane production from waste activated sludge
Four hydrodynamic cavitation pre-treatment regimes for waste activated sludge were compared using a lab-scale generator, finding that cavitation pre-treatment improves sludge disintegration and enhances methane production in subsequent anaerobic digestion.
Recent Developments in the Application of Ultrasonication in Pre-Treatment of Municipal Sewage Sludge
Not relevant to microplastics — this paper reviews ultrasonication as a pre-treatment method for municipal sewage sludge to improve anaerobic digestion efficiency, with no focus on plastic contamination.
Leaching behavior of microplastics during sludge mechanical dewatering and its effect on activated sludge
Researchers studied how mechanical dewatering of sewage sludge affects the microplastics embedded within it, including their physical changes and leaching behavior. They found that the dewatering process roughened microplastic surfaces, reduced particle sizes, and altered their chemical properties due to dewatering agents and mechanical forces. The study also showed that leachates from these processed microplastics could negatively affect activated sludge performance in treatment systems.
The Effects of Microplastics on Floc Formation, Nutrient Removal and Settleability in Wastewater Treatment
Researchers examined the interactions of microplastics with activated sludge in wastewater treatment plants, investigating effects on floc formation, nutrient removal efficiency, and settleability to understand how microplastic contamination may compromise treatment performance.
Fate, characteristics, and potential threat of microplastics in sludge under various dewatering treatments
Researchers compared four different sludge dewatering treatments used at wastewater plants and examined how each process affected the microplastics trapped in the sludge. They found that advanced oxidation treatments altered the surface properties of the microplastics and increased their ability to absorb heavy metals. The findings raise concerns that certain sludge treatment methods could make microplastics more environmentally hazardous when the treated sludge is disposed of or reused.
The Effects of Microplastics on Floc Formation, Nutrient Removal and Settleability in Wastewater Treatment
Researchers investigated how microplastics affect floc formation, nutrient removal, and settleability in wastewater treatment systems, examining the mechanisms by which these ubiquitous anthropogenic pollutants entering via packaging, cosmetics, and other production sectors disrupt activated sludge processes.
Microplastics Removal from Municipal Wastewater Through Oxide-Biological Processes. Phase 1: Preliminary Fragmentation of Microplastics from Wastewater and Aerobic Pre-conditioning of Wastewater with Activated Sludge
Researchers tested a combined treatment approach for removing microplastics from municipal wastewater, involving mechanical fragmentation followed by biological treatment with activated sludge. The preliminary results suggest that oxidative pre-treatment can reduce microplastic particle size, potentially making them more amenable to biological breakdown in wastewater systems.
Conversion of Materials and Energy in Anaerobic Digestion of Sewage Sludge with High-Pressure Homogenization Pretreatment
Not a microplastics paper — this study evaluates high-pressure homogenization as a pretreatment for sewage sludge before anaerobic digestion, finding it increases methane gas yield by up to 57% while helping to optimize energy use in wastewater treatment.
Thermal hydrolysis alleviates polyethylene microplastic-induced stress in anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge
Scientists found that pretreating waste sludge with heat before anaerobic digestion reduced the negative effects that polyethylene microplastics have on the process. The thermal treatment improved methane production and helped maintain healthy microbial communities even in the presence of microplastics. The study suggests that thermal hydrolysis could be a practical strategy for wastewater treatment plants dealing with microplastic-contaminated sludge.
Changes in physicochemical and leachate characteristics of microplastics during hydrothermal treatment of sewage sludge
Researchers examined hydrothermal treatment of sewage sludge containing microplastics and found that while the process degraded polyethylene, polystyrene, and PET to varying degrees, it also generated potentially harmful leachates, highlighting trade-offs in this treatment approach.
Transfer of microplastics in sludge upon Fe(II)-persulfate conditioning and mechanical dewatering
Researchers investigated how Fe(II)-persulfate conditioning and mechanical dewatering of sewage sludge affect microplastic fate, finding that these processes can fragment larger plastic particles, increasing the number of smaller microplastics that may subsequently be released during sludge land application.
Effects of microplastics on the properties of different types of sewage sludge and strategies to overcome the inhibition: A review
This review examined how microplastics trapped in sewage sludge during wastewater treatment affect sludge properties, microbial communities, and treatment efficiency, while discussing strategies to overcome microplastic-induced inhibition of sludge processing.
Transport and accumulation of microplastics through wastewater treatment sludge processes
Researchers tracked microplastic concentrations through each stage of wastewater treatment sludge processing — including thickening, anaerobic digestion, and dewatering — finding that each step altered MP abundance and size distribution, with digestion fragmenting some particles into smaller pieces rather than eliminating them.
Evaluation of Ultrasonic Pretreatment Effects on Biodegradable and Non-biodegradable Microplastics in Sewage Sludge
This study tested whether standard ultrasonic pretreatment used in sewage sludge processing could break down microplastics in the sludge, finding that both polyethylene and PVC microplastic particles showed no significant physical or chemical change after treatment. This means that standard sludge management processes do not reduce microplastic contamination before sludge is spread on agricultural land. Given that sewage sludge is widely applied to farmland as fertiliser, these findings highlight a significant gap in current wastewater treatment systems.
The Potential of Ozonation to Reduce Impact of Waste Sludge-Entrapped Microplastics to Biogas Production
Wastewater treatment plants concentrate microplastics from sewage into the resulting sludge, and this study tested whether ozonation could reduce the harm those microplastics cause during anaerobic digestion used to produce biogas. The findings showed that PET and polypropylene microplastics alter methane yields from sludge digestion in concentration-dependent ways, and that ozone pretreatment partially mitigates the inhibition caused by polypropylene — though the interactions are complex and require further optimization before widespread use.
MicroplasticDegradation through Thermal Hydrolysisin Sewage Sludge and Its Impact on the Anaerobic Process
Researchers investigated the fate of microplastics in sewage sludge during thermal hydrolysis pretreatment and found that temperatures of 140-180°C significantly degraded microplastics while also affecting subsequent anaerobic biogas production from the treated sludge.
Efficient removal of microplastic particles from wastewater through formation of heteroagglomerates during the activated sludge process
Microplastic particles were efficiently removed from wastewater using a novel treatment process, demonstrating high removal rates across different plastic sizes and polymer types. The technology contributes to the toolkit for preventing microplastic discharge from wastewater treatment plants into receiving waters.
Microplastic Degradation through Thermal Hydrolysis in Sewage Sludge and Its Impact on the Anaerobic Process
Researchers found that thermal hydrolysis pretreatment of sewage sludge reduced microplastic concentrations from 206 particles/g to lower levels, with approximately 54% of microplastics initially in solid phase, and examined the implications for sludge management and microplastic fate.
Effects of microplastics on substance transformation, sludge characteristics, toxicological effect, and microbial communities in different biochemical sludge systems: A review
This review synthesizes evidence that microplastics impair the biological and physical processes in wastewater treatment sludge systems, inhibiting nutrient removal, disrupting microbial communities, and degrading sludge structure—with smaller particles and higher concentrations causing greater damage. Because sludge is widely applied to agricultural land, any microplastic-driven impairment of treatment efficiency also increases the risk of plastic particles and associated pollutants reaching soils and food crops.