Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Influence of polyether sulfone microplastics and bisphenol A on anaerobic granular sludge: Performance evaluation and microbial community characterization

This study found that polyether sulfone (PES) microplastics and bisphenol A (BPA) together disrupted the performance of anaerobic granular sludge in wastewater treatment, altering microbial communities and reducing organic matter removal efficiency. The results suggest that microplastics and plastic chemical additives entering wastewater treatment systems can impair the biological processes that clean the water.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Anaerobic granular sludge and biofilms in anaerobic wastewater fermentation remodeled by co-exposure to microplastics and antibiotics

Researchers compared how granular sludge and biofilm-based anaerobic digestion systems respond to combined microplastic and antibiotic stress, finding that prolonged dual exposure reduced methane production and led to different microbial adaptation strategies in each sludge type.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

Microbial and physicochemical responses of anaerobic hydrogen-producing granular sludge to polyethylene micro(nano)plastics

Researchers found that polyethylene micro- and nanoplastics disrupted anaerobic hydrogen-producing granular sludge in a concentration- and size-dependent manner, inhibiting microbial activity and altering community structure, with nanoplastics causing greater harm than larger microplastic particles.

2022 Water Research 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into the microbial response of anaerobic granular sludge during long-term exposure to polyethylene terephthalate microplastics

Researchers investigated how polyethylene terephthalate microplastics affect anaerobic granular sludge used in wastewater treatment over 84 days. The study found that at relatively low concentrations, PET microplastics had minimal impact, but at higher concentrations they disrupted the microbial community structure and reduced the efficiency of the anaerobic treatment process.

2020 Water Research 182 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of aerobic granular sludge under polyethylene microplastics stress: Physicochemical properties, decontamination performance, and microbial community

Researchers investigated the impact of polyethylene microplastics on aerobic granular sludge used in wastewater treatment. The study found that microplastics significantly disrupted sludge structure, settling properties, and enzyme activities related to denitrification and phosphorus removal, with increased reactive oxygen species and cell membrane damage at higher concentrations.

2022 Journal of Environmental Management 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic analysis of performance, microbial community, and metabolism in aerobic granular sludge under polyacrylonitrile microplastics stress

Researchers found that low concentrations of polyacrylonitrile microplastics had minimal impact on aerobic granular sludge wastewater treatment, but 100 mg/L severely damaged granule structure and inhibited denitrification and membrane transport gene expression.

2023 Bioresource Technology 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating effects of tetrabromobisphenol A and microplastics on anaerobic granular sludge: Physicochemical properties, microbial metabolism, and underlying mechanisms

Researchers investigated the combined effects of the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A and two types of microplastics on anaerobic granular sludge used in wastewater treatment. They found that co-exposure altered the physicochemical properties, microbial communities, and metabolic activity of the sludge. The study suggests that the interaction between microplastics and other emerging contaminants may compound their effects on wastewater treatment processes.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastics on Aerobic Granular Sludge Structure and EPS Composition in Wastewater Treatment

Researchers investigated how PET microplastics affect the structure and function of aerobic granular sludge used in wastewater treatment. Higher microplastic concentrations led to changes in granule size, altered the composition of extracellular polymeric substances, and shifted microbial community structure. The findings suggest that microplastic contamination in wastewater could compromise the stability and efficiency of biological treatment processes.

2025 Water 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate and Impacts of Microplastics in Sludge Anaerobic Digestion: Effects on Methanogenic and Acidogenic Pathways

This review examined how microplastics in sewage sludge influence anaerobic digestion performance, covering effects on methane production, volatile fatty acid accumulation, and microbial community function. MPs inhibited methanogenesis at higher concentrations by altering microbial community structure and disrupting electron transfer pathways in the anaerobic digestion process.

2025 ChemistrySelect
Article Tier 2

Exposure to polyamide 66 microplastic leads to effects performance and microbial community structure of aerobic granular sludge

Polyamide 66 microplastics were introduced into aerobic granular sludge bioreactors at varying concentrations, initially reducing contaminant removal efficiency but recovering to near-control levels by the end of the experiment. The study shows that while microplastics transiently disrupt biological wastewater treatment, the microbial community can adapt over time.

2019 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 101 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the role of biochar in mitigating the inhibition of polyethylene nanoplastics on anaerobic granular sludge

Researchers found that biochar addition effectively mitigated the inhibitory effects of polyethylene nanoplastics on anaerobic granular sludge, restoring methane production by reducing oxidative stress and improving microbial community stability.

2022 Water Research 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of the concentration and type of microplastics on the treatment efficiency and biomass structure in aerobic granular sludge reactors

Researchers investigated how polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene microplastics at varying concentrations affect treatment efficiency, granule morphology, extracellular polymer production, microbial species composition, and metabolic activity in aerobic granular sludge reactors used for wastewater treatment. The study tested four hypotheses regarding MP effects on both the biological performance and structural integrity of aerobic granular sludge as a promising technology for MP-contaminated wastewater.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Effects of exposure to polyether sulfone microplastic on the nitrifying process and microbial community structure in aerobic granular sludge

Scientists added polyether sulfone microplastics to aerobic granular sludge bioreactors at different concentrations and found only minor effects on ammonia removal but an increase in total nitrogen removal efficiency of 5.6%, along with shifts in nitrifying microbial community structure.

2020 Bioresource Technology 110 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the effects and mechanisms of microplastics on anaerobic fermentation: Exploring microbial communities and metabolic pathways

Researchers investigated how five types of microplastics affect the anaerobic fermentation process used to treat sewage sludge. They found that polyethylene microplastics caused the greatest reduction in volatile fatty acid production, while polyvinyl chloride had the least impact, and all types disrupted microbial communities in distinct ways. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in wastewater could meaningfully interfere with sludge treatment efficiency.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms underlying the detrimental impact of micro(nano)plastics on the stability of aerobic granular sludge: Interactions between micro(nano)plastics and extracellular polymeric substances

Researchers found that both micro- and nanoplastics at realistic concentrations harmed the performance of aerobic granular sludge, a technology used for wastewater treatment, by reducing its ability to remove nitrogen. The plastic particles interacted with the sticky substances that hold the sludge granules together, weakening their structural integrity. The study reveals a specific mechanism by which plastic pollution can undermine wastewater treatment systems that communities rely on for clean water.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Systematic study of microplastics on methane production in anaerobic digestion: Performance and microbial response

Microplastics are increasingly found in wastewater treatment systems, and this study systematically examined how different types, concentrations, and sizes of microplastics affect the anaerobic digestion process used to break down sewage sludge and generate biogas. Polyethylene microplastics were found to inhibit methane production, with finer particles and higher concentrations causing greater disruption to the microbial communities driving digestion. The findings matter because microplastics in sewage sludge can impair the treatment process and also end up spread on agricultural land when sludge is used as fertilizer.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 1 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Typical Microplastics on Methanogenesis and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Anaerobic Digestion of Sludge].

Researchers explored the impacts of polyamide, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics on methanogenesis and antibiotic resistance gene dynamics during anaerobic digestion of waste sludge, examining how microplastic contamination affects both biogas production and resistance gene enrichment.

2025 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Response of aerobic granular sludge under acute inhibition by polystyrene microplastics: Activity, aggregation performance, and microbial analysis

Researchers investigated how different concentrations of polystyrene microplastics affect the performance of aerobic granular sludge used in wastewater treatment. The study found that increasing microplastic concentrations inhibited nitrogen removal rates and disrupted the microbial community structure within the sludge. Evidence indicates that microplastic contamination in wastewater can compromise the effectiveness of biological treatment processes.

2024 Environmental Pollution 17 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Bioresource Technology 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of degradable and non-degradable microplastics on SPNEDPR-AGS system: Sludge characteristics, nutrient transformation, key enzyme, and microbial community

Researchers examined how degradable and non-degradable microplastics affect an aerobic granular sludge (AGS) wastewater treatment system, measuring impacts on granule formation, microbial community, and treatment performance. Degradable microplastics caused more pronounced disruption to the AGS system than conventional non-degradable plastics.

2024 Bioresource Technology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Revealing the Mechanisms of Polyethylene Microplastics Affecting Anaerobic Digestion of Waste Activated Sludge

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge, a common wastewater treatment process. They found that higher concentrations of microplastics significantly reduced methane production by disrupting microbial communities and enzyme activities essential for digestion. The study reveals that microplastic contamination in wastewater systems can undermine the efficiency of sludge treatment and biogas generation.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 351 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics reshape the anaerobic granular sludge for recovering methane from wastewater

Researchers investigated the long-term effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on anaerobic granular sludge used for methane recovery from wastewater over a 120-day continuous test. The study found that while low nanoplastic concentrations had minimal impact, higher concentrations reshaped the microbial community structure and altered sludge performance, raising concerns about nanoplastic effects on wastewater treatment processes.

2020 Water Research 170 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastic on anaerobic digestion of wasted activated sludge

This study investigated how varying doses of microplastics affect methane production during anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge, testing concentrations from 0 to 100,000 particles per gram. Higher microplastic doses progressively inhibited methane production, suggesting that high microplastic loads in wastewater treatment sludge can impair biogas recovery.

2020 Chemosphere 147 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of tire microplastics on aerobic granular sludge performance

Researchers exposed aerobic granular sludge — a wastewater treatment microbe community — to tire-derived microplastics and found that while nutrient removal stayed largely intact, tire particles built up to over half the biomass at high doses and altered the microbial community in ways that increase antibiotic resistance genes. The results show that tire microplastics reaching wastewater plants pose a hidden challenge for sludge management and microbial safety.

2025 Emerging contaminants 3 citations