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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to AQuantitative Environmental Risk Assessment for Microplasticsin Sewage Sludge Applied to Land
ClearA Quantitative Environmental Risk Assessment for Microplastics in Sewage Sludge Applied to Land
Researchers conducted a quantitative risk assessment of microplastics in sewage sludge applied to farmland and found that contamination levels frequently exceed safe thresholds for soil organisms. Even under realistic scenarios, the microplastic concentrations in sludge-amended soils were estimated to affect 15 to 18 percent of soil species. The study suggests that regulatory limits on microplastics in agricultural sludge should be urgently considered to protect soil ecosystems.
Microplastics in an agricultural soil following repeated application of three types of sewage sludge: A field study
Researchers investigated microplastics in agricultural soil after repeated sewage sludge application, finding that sludge-amended soils contained significantly more small microplastic particles than unamended soils, with particle accumulation varying by sludge type.
Soil-dwelling species-based biomarker as a sensitivity-risk measure of terrestrial ecosystems response to microplastics: A dose–response modeling approach
A dose-response modeling approach was applied to data from soil-dwelling organisms to assess the relative sensitivity of terrestrial ecosystems to microplastic contamination, producing species sensitivity distributions as a risk metric. The analysis revealed that certain soil invertebrates are particularly vulnerable even at relatively low microplastic concentrations.
Extent and impact of microplastics on soil nutrients and biota: a trade-off assessment
This review examines the extent of microplastic inputs from sewage sludge applied to agricultural soils, synthesizing evidence on how sludge-derived microplastics affect soil nutrient availability, soil biota, plant performance, and crop productivity, concluding that the benefits of sludge as a soil amendment must be weighed against its role as a vector for microplastic contamination.
Evidence of microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils from sewage sludge disposal
Agricultural soils from 31 fields with different sludge application histories were analyzed for microplastics, finding significant accumulation in fields with repeated sludge applications and a positive correlation between application frequency and plastic particle counts. The study provides direct field evidence that sewage sludge fertilization is a major pathway for microplastic accumulation in agricultural soil.
Source-specific probabilistic risk assessment of microplastics in soils applying quality criteria and data alignment methods
This study developed a risk assessment framework for microplastics in soil by comparing contamination from different sources including sewage sludge, agricultural mulch, and background pollution. Sewage-contaminated soils showed the highest proportion of samples exceeding risk thresholds, followed by background pollution from diffuse sources. The research provides tools for regulators to evaluate which soil contamination sources pose the greatest ecological risk, which matters for food safety since crops grown in these soils can take up microplastics.
Microplastics in sewage sludge: Distribution, toxicity, identification methods, and engineered technologies
This review examines how microplastics accumulate in sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants, which then becomes a major pathway for spreading these particles into the environment. Researchers found that sludge can contain extremely high concentrations of microplastics, ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands of particles per kilogram. The study evaluates current detection methods and emerging technologies for removing microplastics from sludge before it is applied to agricultural land or disposed of.
Source, occurrence, migration and potential environmental risk of microplastics in sewage sludge and during sludge amendment to soil
This review examines microplastics in sewage sludge and the risks of applying sludge as agricultural fertilizer, finding that sludge acts as both a sink for sewage microplastics and a source when spread on fields. Co-accumulated heavy metals, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes on microplastics further complicate the environmental risks of sludge amendment to soils.
A bibliometric perspective on the occurrence and migration of microplastics in soils amended with sewage sludge
Researchers used bibliometric analysis to map the growing body of research on microplastics in soils that receive sewage sludge. The study suggests that applying sewage sludge to farmland introduces thousands to hundreds of thousands of microplastic particles per kilogram into the soil, with estimated annual accumulations reaching into the trillions of particles across China and Europe.
Sewage sludge application as a vehicle for microplastics in eastern Spanish agricultural soils
Scientists measured microplastics in sewage sludge from Spanish wastewater treatment plants and in agricultural soils receiving sludge applications, finding that sludge application transferred hundreds to thousands of microplastic particles per kilogram into agricultural soil.
Mapping microplastics in sludge
Researchers mapped microplastic contamination in sewage sludge from eight Norwegian wastewater treatment plants, finding plastics in all ten samples with an overall average of 6,077 particles per kilogram dry weight. Based on current sludge application rates in Norway, researchers estimated that over 500 billion microplastic particles enter the environment annually through agricultural and land application of sewage sludge.
Microplastics in Sludges and Soils: A Comprehensive Review on Distribution, Characteristics, and Effects
This review summarizes research on microplastics in sewage sludge and soil, noting that when contaminated sludge is used as fertilizer, it turns farmland into a major reservoir for microplastic pollution. The accumulated microplastics can alter soil properties, harm soil organisms, and potentially enter crops and groundwater, creating pathways for human exposure through food and drinking water.
Microplastics in Sewage Sludge: A review
This review examines the presence and fate of microplastics in sewage sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants, a topic that has received less attention than microplastics in the water treatment line. The study highlights that agricultural application of sewage sludge is a primary source of microplastic contamination in soils, and provides a comprehensive overview of detection methods, concentrations, and the environmental implications of sludge-borne microplastics.
Microplastic contamination in sewage sludge: Abundance, characteristics, and impacts on the environment and human health
This review focuses on microplastics found in sewage sludge, which is often spread on agricultural land as fertilizer. The practice introduces microplastics directly into farm soil, where they can be taken up by crops or leach into groundwater. This creates a pathway for microplastics to reach human food and drinking water, raising concerns about the safety of using sewage sludge in agriculture.
Extent and effects of microplastic pollution in soil with focus on recycling of sewage sludge and composted household waste and experiences from the long-term field experiment CRUCIAL
Researchers reviewed microplastic contamination in agricultural soils amended with sewage sludge and compost, finding that current microplastic levels in farm fields remain below those shown to harm soil organisms in lab studies, though they caution that more long-term research is needed to confirm safety.
Fate of microplastics in sewage sludge and in agricultural soils
Researchers reviewed how microplastics accumulate in sewage sludge at wastewater treatment plants and then spread into agricultural soils when that sludge is applied as fertilizer, finding that sludge treatment processes can alter microplastic size and shape but do not eliminate them. The review calls for standardized methods to study how different sludge treatments affect microplastic properties and their downstream risks to soil health.
Ecological risk assessment framework for microplastics in agricultural soils amended with biosolids
This study proposes a framework for assessing the ecological risks of microplastics in agricultural soils that have been treated with biosolids from wastewater processing. Researchers highlight that risk depends not just on the amount of microplastics, but also on their size, shape, and type. The framework aims to give regulators and scientists a more structured way to evaluate and manage microplastic contamination in farmland.
A probabilistic risk assessment of microplastics in soil ecosystems
A probabilistic risk assessment comparing environmental microplastic concentrations in soils with effect concentrations from toxicity studies found that current soil microplastic levels pose a low but non-negligible risk to soil biota, with uncertainty driven by data gaps in both exposure and hazard data.
Seasonal Variation, Distribution and Characteristics of Microplastic in Sewage Sludge
Researchers investigated seasonal variation in microplastic concentration, distribution, and characteristics within sewage sludge at wastewater treatment plants, examining how precipitation patterns and sludge treatment processes influence microplastic retention and the pathways by which sludge-borne microplastics enter agricultural soils upon land application.
The impact of microplastics on soil ecosystems: A review
This review examines how microplastics accumulate in soil from sources like sewage sludge, agricultural plastic mulch, and wastewater, and how they affect soil ecosystems. Evidence indicates that microplastics alter soil physical and chemical properties, disrupt microbial communities and enzyme activity, and can harm plant growth and soil organisms. The authors highlight that soil microplastic pollution has received far less research attention compared to aquatic environments, despite its potential consequences for agriculture and food safety.
Microplastics in Sewage Sludge: A Known but Underrated Pathway in Wastewater Treatment Plants
This review finds that wastewater treatment plants effectively transfer microplastics from effluent into sewage sludge, creating a significant but underrated pathway for MP contamination when sludge is applied to agricultural soils.
A method for the characterisation of microplastics in sludge
Researchers developed a method for detecting and characterizing microplastics in sewage sludge, which concentrates the majority of microplastics removed during wastewater treatment. This method is important because sludge is widely spread on agricultural land, making it a key pathway for microplastics entering soils.
Assessing metal contamination and speciation in sewage sludge: implications for soil application and environmental risk
This systematic review estimated that global sewage sludge production could triple to 160 million tons if all wastewater were treated to EU standards, and found that metals in sludge applied to farmland are predominantly in less bioavailable forms. The research is relevant to microplastics because sewage sludge is a major pathway for microplastic contamination of agricultural soils, carrying both metal and plastic pollutants to farmland.
The overlooked pathway: A systematic review on sewage sludge treatment as a critical secondary source of terrestrial micro(nano)plastics
This systematic review examines sewage sludge as an overlooked pathway for microplastics to contaminate land, with concentrations reaching over 1,300 particles per kilogram. When this sludge is applied to farmland as fertilizer, aged and chemically modified microplastics enter agricultural soil, where they may be more toxic than fresh particles and can potentially be taken up by crops.