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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Pyrolysis Solves the Issue of Organic Contaminants in Sewage Sludge while Retaining Carbon—Making the Case for Sewage Sludge Treatment via Pyrolysis
ClearElimination of microplastics, PFAS, and PPCPs from biosolids via pyrolysis to produce biochar: Feasibility and techno-economic analysis
Researchers found that heating sewage sludge (biosolids) through a process called pyrolysis at temperatures of 400-700 degrees Celsius removed virtually all harmful contaminants -- over 99.9% of pharmaceuticals and PFAS ("forever chemicals") and 91-97% of microplastics. The process also produces biochar that can be used as a fertilizer, potentially turning a waste disposal problem into a revenue source. This approach could prevent microplastics and other pollutants from spreading to farmland through standard biosolid application.
Life cycle assessment of sewage sludge treatment: Comparison of pyrolysis with traditional methods in two Swedish municipalities
Researchers compared pyrolysis, a heat-based treatment that converts sewage sludge into biochar, against traditional disposal methods in two Swedish municipalities using life cycle assessment. They found that using biochar as a fertilizer replacement offered significant environmental benefits, and combining anaerobic digestion with pyrolysis was the most environmentally friendly option. The approach also has the advantage of breaking down pollutants like microplastics and pathogens present in sewage sludge.
Feasibility of Biochar Derived from Sewage Sludge to Promote Sustainable Agriculture and Mitigate GHG Emissions—A Review
This review assessed the feasibility of using biochar derived from sewage sludge to promote sustainable agriculture and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The study found that pyrolysis temperature significantly affects biochar properties, and that sewage sludge biochar can improve soil characteristics and plant health, though careful assessment of potential contaminants is needed before widespread agricultural application.
Land Application of Biosolids-Derived Biochar in Australia: A Review
This Australian review examined whether converting sewage sludge (biosolids) into biochar through pyrolysis or gasification could safely remove contaminants before the material is spread on agricultural land. Key findings show that thermal processing can effectively destroy persistent organic pollutants, microplastics, and pathogens present in biosolids, and can immobilize over 90% of heavy metals. Biochar from treated biosolids is therefore a safer soil amendment than raw biosolids and could reduce microplastic inputs to farmland from a widely used agricultural practice.
Environmental and Economic Evaluation of Biochar Application in Wastewater and Sludge Treatment
This chapter reviews how biochar — a carbon-rich material made from organic waste — can remove microplastics, heavy metals, and organic pollutants from wastewater and sludge. Biochar is presented as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly treatment option compared to conventional technologies.
Potential for Land Application of Biosolids-Derived Biochar in Australia: A Review
This review examines the potential for beneficial land application of biochar derived from thermal treatment of biosolids in Australia, evaluating barriers, contaminant risks, and agronomic outcomes. Key findings show pyrolysis and gasification effectively eliminate persistent organic pollutants, microplastics, and pathogens, and immobilize over 90% of heavy metals, though long-term agronomic effects and contaminant fate in soils remain poorly understood.
Opportunities regarding the use of technologies of energy recovery from sewage sludge
This review evaluated pyrolysis, gasification, and incineration as energy recovery technologies for sewage sludge management, finding pyrolysis advantageous due to low emissions, reduced heavy metal mobility, and useful by-products including bio-gas, bio-oil, and bio-char adsorbents.
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in sewage sludge: challenges of biological and thermal treatment processes and potential threats to the environment from land disposal
This review summarizes data on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as 'forever chemicals') found in sewage sludge, which is commonly spread on farmland. Current biological and thermal treatment methods struggle to fully remove these persistent chemicals from sludge. While focused on PFAS rather than microplastics, the findings are relevant because both contaminants accumulate in sludge and enter the food chain when that sludge is applied to agricultural soil.
Fate of microplastic during pyrolysis of sewage sludge
Researchers investigated what happens to microplastics embedded in sewage sludge when sludge is treated by pyrolysis, a high-temperature thermochemical process. Pyrolysis effectively destroyed most microplastic particles, but some residual polymer-derived compounds partitioned into the pyrolysis products.
A review on the fate and effects of contaminants in biosolids applied on land: Hazards and government regulatory policies
This review examines the contaminants, including microplastics and persistent organic pollutants, that remain in treated sewage sludge (biosolids) when it is applied to farmland as fertilizer. These pollutants can accumulate in soil and potentially enter crops and groundwater, creating exposure pathways to humans. The authors argue that current government regulations on biosolid use, particularly in the US, are outdated and need updating to address emerging contaminants like microplastics.
Sludge-derived biochar: A review on the influence of synthesis conditions on environmental risk reduction and removal mechanism of wastewater pollutants
This paper is not about microplastics; it reviews methods for preparing biochar from sewage sludge and its use in removing heavy metals and organic pollutants from wastewater.
Biosolids-derived fertilisers: A review of challenges and opportunities
This review examines the use of treated sewage sludge (biosolids) as farm fertilizer and the concern that it introduces microplastics and persistent organic contaminants into agricultural soil. While biosolids provide valuable nutrients for crops, the microplastics they contain can accumulate in soil over time and potentially enter the food chain. The authors discuss thermal processing and nutrient recovery technologies that could help remove contaminants while preserving the fertilizer value of biosolids.
Sludge-derived biochar: Physicochemical characteristics for environmental remediation
This review examines how sewage sludge can be converted into biochar, a carbon-rich material useful for cleaning up environmental contaminants including microplastics and heavy metals from water and soil. The process turns a waste product into an effective pollution filter while reducing the volume of sludge that needs disposal. This approach is relevant to microplastics research because biochar could help remove plastic particles from contaminated water and agricultural land.
Fate of microplastic during pyrolysis of sewage sludge
Researchers examined how pyrolysis as a sewage sludge treatment method affects the fate of embedded microplastics, finding that thermal treatment largely destroys plastic particles. However, some polymer-derived volatile compounds transferred to pyrolysis gases and oils, suggesting that microplastic destruction does not eliminate all associated chemical risks.
Standardization: A Necessary Support for the Utilization of Sludge/Biosolids in Agriculture
Not relevant to microplastics — this paper discusses standardization of characterization procedures for sewage sludge and biosolids used in agricultural applications, covering quality, safety, and European regulatory frameworks.
Sewage Sludge in Agricultural Lands. The Legislative Framework in EU-28
This review examines the legislative framework across EU member states for using sewage sludge as agricultural fertilizer. While sludge provides valuable nutrients and organic matter, researchers found it can also contain contaminants including microplastics, heavy metals, and pathogens. The study highlights the need for updated regulations that account for emerging pollutants like microplastics to better protect soil health and food safety.
Emerging organic contaminants in sewage sludge: Current status, technological challenges and regulatory perspectives
This review examines how sewage sludge accumulates harmful organic pollutants including microplastics, hormone-disrupting chemicals, and pharmaceutical residues that threaten the environment and human health. Current treatment methods struggle to fully break down these contaminants, and the byproducts of treatment may carry their own ecological risks, highlighting the need for better technology and stronger regulations.
Environmental behavior of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and the potential role of biochar for its remediation: a review
This review summarizes how biochar, a carbon-rich material made from organic waste, can be used to clean up PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), the persistent "forever chemicals" found widely in the environment. Since microplastics can carry and transport PFAS through water systems, understanding how to remove PFAS is an important piece of the broader pollution picture.
How microplastics affect sludge pyrolysis behavior: Thermogravimetry-mass spectrum analysis and biochar characteristics
Microplastics in sewage sludge alter how the sludge burns during pyrolysis: PVC microplastics sped up decomposition while polyethylene and polypropylene slowed it down. This matters because sewage sludge from wastewater plants contains thousands of microplastic particles per kilogram, and understanding how they change the energy recovery and byproduct quality of sludge treatment helps improve the management of this widespread microplastic sink.
Eco-toxicological and climate change effects of sludge thermal treatments: Pathways towards zero pollution and negative emissions
Researchers analyzed sewage sludge for 12 heavy metals and 61 toxic organic compounds — including flame retardants and PFAS 'forever chemicals' — and found that thermal treatments like pyrolysis destroy over 93–95% of these pollutants while also generating renewable energy and achieving net-negative carbon emissions. This contrasts with conventional sludge treatment, which leaves significant chemical contamination intact and has a higher climate impact.
Land Application of Biosolids in Europe: Possibilities, Con-Straints and Future Perspectives
This review examines how sewage sludge, or biosolids, is used as agricultural fertilizer across European countries and the regulations governing this practice. While biosolids provide valuable nutrients like phosphorus, the study highlights concerns about contaminants including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and heavy metals that could enter soil and food chains through land application.
Microplastics Mitigation in Sewage Sludge through Pyrolysis: The Role of Pyrolysis Temperature
The effect of pyrolysis on reducing microplastic content in sewage sludge was investigated in a lab-scale study evaluating multiple pyrolysis temperature conditions. Pyrolysis effectively degraded microplastic particles in sludge, with higher temperatures achieving greater microplastic reduction, positioning pyrolysis as a viable treatment for managing microplastic-laden organic waste.
The pyrolysis of biosolids in a novel fluidized bed heat exchanger reactor: Pilot plant trials, biochar properties, gas emissions testing, and fate of PFAS
Researchers conducted 14-day pilot trials of biosolids pyrolysis using a novel autothermal PYROCO fluidized bed heat exchanger reactor at 15 kg/h dry feed rate, comprehensively characterizing the resulting biochar properties and analyzing gas emission streams for pollutants including PFAS, dioxins, furans, NOx, and particulate matter. The pilot trials provided evidence of effective biosolids treatment with measurable reductions in contaminant profiles, supporting the technology's potential for large-scale biosolids management.
Biochar amendment to advance contaminant removal in anaerobic digestion of organic solid wastes: A review
This review examined how biochar amendment improves anaerobic digestion of organic solid wastes by enhancing biodegradation, reducing inhibitory substances, and facilitating removal of contaminants such as antibiotics, heavy metals, microplastics, and PAHs, proposing mechanisms by which biochar's porous and conductive properties drive these benefits.