Papers

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Article Tier 2

Microplastic emission trends in Turkish primary and secondary municipal wastewater treatment plant effluents discharged into the Sea of Marmara and Black Sea

Researchers tracked microplastic emission trends from Turkish primary and secondary municipal wastewater treatment plant effluents, finding that while treatment reduces MP concentrations, significant quantities are still discharged into receiving water bodies.

2023 Environmental Research 50 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants in Türkiye: Characteristics, removal efficiency, mitigation strategies for microplastic pollution and future perspective

This review comprehensively examines microplastic pollution in wastewater treatment plants across Turkiye, analyzing their characteristics, abundance, and removal efficiency. Researchers found that while treatment plants remove a significant portion of microplastics, effluent discharge still represents an important source of microplastic contamination to aquatic environments.

2024 Water Science & Technology 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in an urban wastewater treatment plant in Turkey

A wastewater treatment plant in Bursa, Turkey removed 93.7% of incoming microplastics from wastewater, with the average influent concentration of 135 MPs per liter reduced to 8.5 MPs per liter in the effluent. Despite high removal efficiency, the plant still released an estimated 525 million MPs per day to receiving waters due to the large volume of treated wastewater.

2022 Environmental Pollution 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in municipal wastewater treatment plants in Turkey: a comparison of the influent and secondary effluent concentrations

Microplastics were detected in both influent and secondary effluent at two wastewater treatment plants in Turkey, with fibers as the predominant type in both streams. The study confirms that Turkish wastewater systems discharge substantial numbers of microplastic particles into receiving waters, consistent with findings from other countries.

2018 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 275 citations
Article Tier 2

Effectiveness of conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants in microplastics removal: Insights from multiple analytical techniques

Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants in removing microplastics across multiple treatment stages, finding removal efficiencies of 70–90% but documenting that billions of particles still pass through in final effluent daily.

2025 Journal of Environmental Sciences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence of Microplastic in Erzurum Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant

Researchers investigated microplastic presence at the inlet and outlet of the Erzurum Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant in Turkey, finding average concentrations of 36,400 MP/m3 in influent and 2,875 MP/m3 in effluent. Tertiary treatment achieved over 90% removal efficiency, while primary and secondary treatment alone proved insufficient for effective microplastic removal.

2024 Brilliant Engineering
Article Tier 2

Factors affecting microplastic retention and emission by a wastewater treatment plant on the southern coast of Caspian Sea

Researchers measured microplastic removal efficiency at a wastewater treatment plant on the southern Caspian Sea coast, finding that MP concentrations dropped from 12,667 items/m3 at the grit chamber to 423 items/m3 at the clarifier outlet, representing 96.7% removal. Fibers dominated all treatment stages and MP shape, size, and polymer type influenced removal rates across treatment steps.

2020 Chemosphere 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and Characteristics of Microplastics in a Wastewater Treatment Plant

Researchers sampled the inflow, outflow, and sludge of a Chinese wastewater treatment plant, finding up to 44 microplastic particles per liter in incoming water — mostly polyester fibers. The plant removed about 96% of microplastics, but the remaining fraction was still discharged into receiving waterways.

2021 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, characteristics, and removal of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants located on the Moroccan Atlantic: The case of Agadir metropolis

Researchers studied microplastic occurrence and removal in two wastewater treatment plants in Agadir, Morocco, finding that while treatment processes removed significant proportions of microplastics, effluents still released substantial quantities into the Atlantic Ocean.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic characterization and assessment of removal efficiency in an urban and industrial wastewater treatment plant with submarine emission discharge

Researchers evaluated how effectively a wastewater treatment plant in Morocco removes microplastics from combined urban and industrial wastewater. They found that while the plant's lamellar settling system removed a significant portion of microplastics, treated water discharged through the submarine outfall still contained measurable levels. The study underscores that current wastewater treatment technologies may not fully prevent microplastic pollution from reaching marine environments.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Nationwide evaluation of microplastic properties in municipal wastewater treatment plants in South Korea

Researchers evaluated microplastic levels at 22 municipal wastewater treatment plants across South Korea and found that while the plants remove over 99% of microplastics, the sheer volume of treated water still releases significant quantities into receiving waterways. Most removal happened during the sedimentation stage, and the most common microplastic types found were fragments and fibers under 300 micrometers. The study suggests that despite high removal efficiency, wastewater treatment plants remain an important source of microplastic discharge into the environment.

2024 Environmental Pollution 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Microplastics in a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant With Tertiary Treatment: Removal Efficiencies and Loading Per Day Into the Environment

Researchers measured microplastic removal efficiency at a Spanish wastewater treatment plant with advanced tertiary treatment, finding it removed about 97% of incoming microplastics but still discharged an estimated 4.6 million microplastic particles per day into the environment. Even high-efficiency treatment plants release substantial microplastic loads into receiving waters.

2021 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics and seasonal variation of microplastics in the wastewater treatment plant: The case of Bursa deep sea discharge

Researchers monitored microplastic characteristics and seasonal variation in wastewater and sludge from a treatment plant in Bursa-Gemlik, Turkey over 12 months, finding that the plant is a significant point source of microplastic release into the sea with seasonal fluctuations in abundance and composition.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics composition and load from three wastewater treatment plants discharging into Mersin Bay, north eastern Mediterranean Sea

Three wastewater treatment plants discharging into Mersin Bay in the northeastern Mediterranean were found to release significant loads of microplastics into coastal waters, with fibers and fragments as the dominant forms. The study quantifies WWTPs as a measurable source of ongoing microplastic input to Mediterranean marine ecosystems.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 206 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence and characteristics in a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Jakarta

A Jakarta wastewater treatment plant was found to remove about 91% of incoming microplastics, yet still discharged an estimated 352 microplastic particles per second into the aquatic environment. Fibers were the dominant shape, and particles ranged from 100 to 5,000 µm. This study highlights that even efficient treatment plants are significant ongoing sources of microplastic pollution in urban waterways.

2023 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and Removal of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Perspectives on Shape, Type, and Density

Researchers compiled data from multiple countries on microplastic removal efficiency across different stages of wastewater treatment plants. They found that removal rates varied widely, from 48% in some facilities to over 90% in others, depending on the treatment technologies employed. The study suggests that while conventional wastewater treatment can capture a significant portion of microplastics, advanced tertiary treatment methods are needed to further reduce discharge into the environment.

2024 Water 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of wastewater treatment process on pollution characteristics and fate of microplastics

Researchers investigated microplastic abundance and removal efficiency across four wastewater treatment plants using different treatment technologies, finding influent concentrations between 539 and 1,290 particles per liter that were reduced substantially by primary and secondary treatment. Smaller microplastic particles proved hardest to remove and most likely to persist in final effluent.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of different treatment processes in four municipal wastewater treatment plants on the transport and fate of microplastics

Researchers investigated microplastic transport and fate across four municipal wastewater treatment plants in southeastern China, finding that different treatment processes varied in their microplastic removal efficiency, with fibers and fragments as the dominant types.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance, characteristics, fate, and removal of microplastics during municipal wastewater treatment plant in the west of Iran: the case of Kermanshah city

A three-month study of a conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment plant in Kermanshah, Iran found that while the facility removed about 64% of incoming microplastics, large quantities still passed through into the effluent — making the plant a net source of microplastic pollution to the aquatic environment. Fibers dominated incoming samples while fragments were more prevalent in the treated effluent, and polyethylene was the most common polymer detected throughout.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification, Quantification, and Evaluation of Microplastics Removal Efficiency in a Water Treatment Plant (A Case Study in Iran)

Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence and removal efficiency across treatment stages of a drinking water treatment plant in Iran, finding an influent concentration of 1597.7 MPs/L with an overall removal efficiency of 83.7%, yet still discharging an estimated 2.25 x 10^11 MPs daily into the distribution system, with PP, PE, and PET as the dominant polymers.

2022 Air Soil and Water Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Do wastewater treatment plants act as a potential point source of microplastics? Preliminary study in the coastal Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea

A study at a Finnish wastewater treatment plant found that although influent microplastic concentrations were high, treatment processes removed the vast majority — but a meaningful fraction still passed through in the effluent. The results confirm that even well-run treatment plants cannot fully prevent microplastic discharge to receiving water bodies.

2015 Water Science & Technology 492 citations
Article Tier 2

A study on characteristics of microplastic in wastewater of South Korea: Identification, quantification, and fate of microplastics during treatment process

Microplastics were tracked through three South Korean wastewater treatment plants with different tertiary treatment methods, finding 75–92% removal by primary and secondary treatment and over 98% removal after tertiary treatment. The study confirms that advanced treatment steps are necessary to approach near-complete microplastic removal from municipal wastewater.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 555 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, Characteristics, and Removal of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants

This review summarizes the occurrence, characteristics, and removal efficiency of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants, highlighting how these facilities simultaneously act as sinks trapping microplastics and as sources releasing them into surrounding aquatic and terrestrial environments.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in an advanced wastewater treatment plant: sustained and robust removal rates unfazed by seasonal variations

Researchers evaluated microplastic removal at an advanced wastewater treatment plant discharging into the Mediterranean Sea across three seasonal campaigns. The plant achieved removal rates above 99% consistently, with efficiency remaining robust even during rainy and high-tourism periods. The study found that primary treatment stages, particularly coagulation and settling, were most effective at capturing microplastics, with polyester being the predominant polymer type detected.

2024 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 14 citations