Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Quantification of microplastic mass and removal rates at wastewater treatment plants applying Focal Plane Array (FPA)-based Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) imaging

This study quantified microplastic mass and calculated removal rates at wastewater treatment plants, finding that while plants remove a large proportion of incoming microplastics, the residual discharge still represents a substantial ongoing input to receiving water bodies.

2018 Water Research 834 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the effluent of a German wastewater treatment plant ‒ analysis with μ-FTIR spectroscopy

A German wastewater treatment plant was found to release microplastics in its treated effluent, with fibers as the dominant type. The study used detailed chemical characterization and identified wastewater plants as ongoing point sources of microplastic pollution entering aquatic environments.

2020 Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung (Alfred-Wegener-Institut)
Article Tier 2

Detection of microplastic traces in four different types of municipal wastewater treatment plants through FT-IR and TED-GC-MS

Researchers detected microplastic traces in four different types of municipal wastewater treatment plants using FT-IR and TED-GC-MS, finding that while treatment processes removed most microplastics, some were still released into receiving water bodies.

2023 Environmental Pollution 51 citations
Article Tier 2

IR microspectroscopic identification of microplastics in municipal wastewater treatment plants

Researchers used infrared microspectroscopy to identify microplastics at three municipal wastewater treatment plants in Thailand employing different treatment processes, finding varied levels of microplastic contamination tied to urbanization level and treatment technology.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of microplastic in effluents of waste water treatment plants using focal plane array-based micro-Fourier-transform infrared imaging

Researchers analyzed effluent from 12 wastewater treatment plants in Germany and found microplastics in all of them, with estimates of up to 4 billion particles discharged per plant annually — predominantly polyethylene fragments and polyester fibers. Notably, one plant with an additional post-filtration step reduced microplastic discharge by 97%, showing that advanced filtration can dramatically cut the flow of plastic particles into waterways.

2016 Water Research 1413 citations
Article Tier 2

Spectroscopic analysis of microplastic contaminants in an urban wastewater treatment plant from Seoul, South Korea

Researchers performed systematic multi-spectroscopic analysis of microplastics at influent and effluent stages of a metropolitan wastewater treatment plant in Seoul, South Korea, using FTIR and microscopic methods to characterize MP type, size, and polymer composition. The study quantified treatment efficiency for MP removal and identified the dominant polymer types entering and leaving the WWTP, informing efforts to reduce microplastic discharge to urban waterways.

2020 Chemosphere 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastiche: classificazione, identificazione e rimozione all'interno degli impianti di trattamento delle acque reflue

This Italian-language paper reviews how microplastics are classified, identified using techniques like FTIR spectroscopy, and removed in wastewater treatment plants. Conventional treatment plants remove a substantial portion of microplastics but still allow many particles to pass through into the environment. The review calls for better treatment technologies and standardized methods to assess microplastic removal efficiency.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in Danish wastewater: Sources, occurrences and fate

Researchers evaluated the role of Danish wastewater treatment plants in microplastic emissions by analyzing samples from 10 WWTPs, associated sludge, and farmland soils using FTIR imaging, identifying the amounts, polymer types, and potential sources of microplastics entering the environment.

2017 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in two German wastewater treatment plants: Year-long effluent analysis with FTIR and Py-GC/MS

Researchers analyzed microplastics in the effluents of two German wastewater treatment plants monthly over one year, revealing temporal variations in microplastic concentrations and polymer compositions entering receiving river systems.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 103 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Estonian wastewater treatment plants: First evaluation of baseline concentrations and stage-wise removal efficiency

Researchers sampled six Estonian wastewater treatment plants to establish baseline microplastic concentrations in influents and effluents and assess stage-wise removal efficiency. At least 78% of microscopically identified MPs were confirmed by µFTIR spectroscopy, with at least 50% removed during secondary treatment, providing the first baseline data for Estonian WWTP microplastic discharge into the Baltic Sea.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification and assessment of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants using laser direct infrared spectroscopy and depolymerization-coupled liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Researchers combined laser direct infrared spectroscopy and depolymerization-coupled LC-MS/MS to comprehensively characterize microplastics in wastewater treatment plants, finding complementary information from each method and documenting MP types and distribution across treatment stages.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification and Quantification of Microplastics in Wastewater Using Focal Plane Array-Based Reflectance Micro-FT-IR Imaging

Researchers applied focal plane array FT-IR imaging to identify and quantify microplastics in wastewater samples, demonstrating that this method provides efficient and detailed polymer characterization across large sample areas.

2015 Analytical Chemistry 664 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of Microplastics in Treated Drinking Water Using µ-FT-IR Spectroscopy: A Case Study from Northeast Italy

Researchers quantified microplastics in treated drinking water from a treatment plant in northeast Italy using micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The study found that microplastics persist through the water treatment process and end up in drinking water, though the full health implications of ingesting these particles remain not yet fully understood.

2026 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Analysis of microplastic particles in the Pilica River catchment (Poland) using FTIR imaging microscopy

Researchers analyzed microplastic particles in the Pilica River catchment in Poland, examining sources, distribution, and variability of plastic pollution with a focus on wastewater treatment plants as key emission points. Microplastic concentrations in the river varied spatially and were elevated near wastewater discharge points, confirming WWTPs as significant contributors to river plastic contamination.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Analysis of microplastic particles in the Pilica River catchment (Poland) using FTIR imaging microscopy

Researchers analyzed microplastic distribution across the Pilica River catchment in Poland, assessing contributions from wastewater treatment plants as a key point source. Wastewater treatment plant effluents were identified as a major pathway for microplastic entry into the river system.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in different water samples (seawater, freshwater, and wastewater): Methodology approach for characterization using micro-FTIR spectroscopy

Researchers developed a standardized methodology for detecting and characterizing small microplastics (10-500 micrometers) in different water types using micro-FTIR spectroscopy. The study tested various sample preparation approaches for seawater, freshwater, and wastewater, establishing reliable protocols for rinsing, digestion, and microplastic collection that can be used to assess treatment plant removal efficiency.

2023 Water Research 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Influents and Effluents of Estonian Wastewater Treatment Plants

This Estonian study is the first systematic investigation of microplastic concentrations in both the influent and effluent of Estonian wastewater treatment plants, using continuous filtration sampling and FTIR spectroscopy. The research establishes baseline data for microplastic removal efficiency in Baltic state wastewater infrastructure, documenting how treatment reduces but does not eliminate microplastic discharge.

2023
Article Tier 2

Microplastics monitoring in different environments: separation, physicochemical characterization, and quantification

Researchers systematically monitored microplastic contamination across multiple environments including a wastewater treatment plant, surrounding water bodies, and soils near plastic factories, characterizing shape, size, color, and polymer composition via microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. They found fragments and fibers to be the most common microplastic shapes in water environments and documented simultaneous contamination across all sampled matrices.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Improved methodology to determine the fate and transport of microplastics in a secondary wastewater treatment plant

An improved methodology was applied to track the fate and transport of microplastics through a wastewater treatment plant, measuring particle size, shape, and polymer type at multiple treatment stages. The study found that while most microplastics are removed during primary and secondary treatment, smaller particles persist into the effluent and sludge.

2020 Water Research 277 citations
Article Tier 2

Contributions of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in microplastic pollution research: A review

This review covers advances in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques — including chemical imaging — for identifying polymer types in microplastic samples and tracing their fate in different environmental matrices.

2020 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 480 citations
Article Tier 2

An overview on the characterization of microplastics (MPs) in waste water treatment plants (WWTPs)

This review examines the methods used to characterize microplastics found in wastewater treatment plants, covering chemical, morphological, and thermal analysis techniques. The researchers found that while various technologies can identify microplastics, no single method provides a complete picture, and standardized protocols are still lacking. Understanding the types and quantities of microplastics passing through treatment plants is essential for improving removal strategies and reducing environmental discharge.

2024 Sustainable Water Resources Management 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Florence wastewater treatment plant studied by a continuous sampling method and Raman spectroscopy: A preliminary investigation

Researchers used continuous sampling and Raman spectroscopy to track microplastics through a Florence wastewater treatment plant, finding that the plant reduces but does not eliminate microplastic loads, with effluent contributing a quantifiable flux to the receiving river.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Release of Microplastics from Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants to Aquatic Ecosystems in Acapulco, Mexico

Researchers evaluated microplastic presence and removal at three wastewater treatment plants in Acapulco, Mexico, using optical microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy to characterize particles retained on 38-micron and 150-micron filters. The plants removed 82.5-98.7% of microplastics from influent streams, yet still released millions of microplastic particles daily into aquatic ecosystems, with polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, and PVC as the dominant polymer types detected.

2023 Preprints.org 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimising sample preparation for FTIR-based microplastic analysis in wastewater and sludge samples: multiple digestions

Researchers optimized sample digestion protocols for FTIR-based microplastic analysis in wastewater and sludge, finding that multiple sequential digestion steps improve removal of organic matter while minimizing polymer degradation.

2021 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 97 citations