Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

How to remove microplastics in wastewater? A cost-effectiveness analysis

A cost-effectiveness analysis of microplastic removal in wastewater treatment found that activated sludge, rapid sand filtering, and membrane bioreactor technologies differ substantially in removal efficiency and cost per unit removed, with membrane bioreactors achieving the highest removal but at prohibitive cost.

2021 Ecological Economics 72 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic particles in the aquatic environment: A systematic review

Among treatment technologies for microplastic removal from water, membrane bioreactors achieved the highest efficiency (>99%), followed by activated sludge (~98%) and rapid sand filtration (~97%), while hybrid treatment approaches showed the best overall removal performance.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 238 citations
Article Tier 2

Filtration Methods for Microplastic Removal in Wastewater Streams — A Review

This review surveys filtration, membrane, coagulation, and biological methods for removing microplastics from wastewater, concluding that membrane bioreactors and dynamic membranes are among the most effective current technologies. The paper provides a useful comparative overview for engineers and policymakers seeking cost-effective solutions to prevent microplastics from passing through treatment plants into waterways.

2023 International Journal of High Speed Electronics and Systems 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, identification and removal of microplastics in a wastewater treatment plant compared to an advanced MBR technology: Full-scale pilot plant

Researchers compared microplastic removal efficiency between a standard wastewater treatment plant and an advanced membrane bioreactor (MBR) system and found MBR technology achieved 99.7% removal — far outperforming conventional treatment — suggesting upgraded filtration systems are critical to keeping microplastics out of waterways.

2023 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 80 citations
Article Tier 2

Preventing Microplastic Release into Oceans through Wastewater Treatment Technologies.

Comparing immersed and sidestream membrane bioreactors for microplastic removal from wastewater, this analysis found membrane bioreactors more efficient than conventional treatment, identifying them as a key technology to prevent microplastic release to oceans.

2024 Science and Technology of Engineering Chemistry and Environmental Protection
Article Tier 2

An evaluation of microplastics fate in the wastewater treatment plants: frequency and removal of microplastics by microfiltration membrane

This study assessed microplastic removal efficiency at a wastewater treatment plant in Iran and tested microfiltration membrane performance, finding that the membrane significantly improved microplastic removal beyond conventional treatment steps.

2021 Water Practice & Technology 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Use of Different Bioreactors for the Removal of Microplastics from Wastewater

This review compares different bioreactor configurations—including membrane bioreactors, moving bed biofilm reactors, and constructed wetlands—for removing microplastics from wastewater, evaluating removal efficiencies and operational requirements for each system type.

2025
Article Tier 2

Rapid Sand Filtration Technique for Remediation of Microplastics

Researchers tested rapid sand filtration as a technique for removing microplastics from water, evaluating particle removal efficiency across different plastic sizes, shapes, and filter media. The technique achieved meaningful microplastic reduction and was proposed as a practical water treatment enhancement.

2024 Microplastics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive review of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants

This review surveys microplastic removal technologies used in wastewater treatment plants, comparing membrane bioreactors, electrocoagulation, coagulation-sedimentation, and biodegradation approaches. Understanding removal efficiency at treatment plants is critical because they are a primary pathway by which microplastics — and the toxic chemicals they carry — reach rivers, coastal waters, and ultimately drinking water supplies.

2024 BIO Web of Conferences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Elimination of Microplastics by Downstream Sand Filters in Wastewater Treatment

Researchers investigated sand filtration as a final treatment stage at two municipal wastewater treatment plants and one PVC manufacturer's process plant, finding that downstream sand filters effectively eliminated both microplastic particles and microplastic fibers, offering a practical retrofit option for reducing microplastic discharges.

2020 Water 85 citations
Review Tier 2

A review of microplastic removal from water and wastewater by membrane technologies

This review examines how membrane filtration technologies can remove microplastics from drinking water and wastewater. Researchers found that advanced membranes like nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and membrane bioreactors are among the most effective methods for capturing microplastic particles that conventional treatment plants miss. The study compares membrane approaches with other removal methods and discusses the challenges of membrane fouling caused by microplastic accumulation.

2023 Water Science & Technology 146 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of microplastics from wastewater: available techniques and way forward

This review surveys the available techniques for removing microplastics from wastewater, including filtration, coagulation, biological treatment, and advanced methods like membrane bioreactors. Researchers found that while conventional treatment plants can remove a substantial fraction of microplastics, significant amounts still pass through to the environment. The study emphasizes the need for upgrading wastewater treatment systems to better capture these emerging contaminants.

2021 Water Science & Technology 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Technologies for the Removal of Microplastics from Wastewater: A Short Review

This review compares wastewater treatment technologies for removing microplastics, finding that membrane bioreactors and advanced filtration systems achieve the highest removal efficiencies (>95%) but that MPs accumulating in sludge may re-enter the environment through biosolid disposal. The analysis underscores that no current treatment system completely prevents MP discharge and that sludge management is a critical but underaddressed pathway to the environment.

2023 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics removal mechanisms in wastewater treatment plants: A review

This review examines how conventional wastewater treatment plants remove micro- and nanoplastics, and evaluates advanced technologies like membrane filtration and electrocoagulation that could improve removal rates. While existing treatment plants can capture most microplastics, they still release significant quantities into waterways through their enormous discharge volumes. The study highlights that biological treatment steps may also transform microplastics in potentially harmful ways that need further investigation.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Membrane processes as a highly effective and eco-friendly technology for treating municipal water contaminated with micro- and nanoplastics.

Researchers evaluated membrane filtration as an environmentally friendly technology for removing micro- and nanoplastics from water, testing different membrane types and pore sizes. Membrane processes showed high removal efficiency for microplastics and outperformed conventional water treatment steps for the smallest particles.

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

Remediation of Micro- and Nanoplastics by Membrane Technologies

This review examined how membrane filtration technologies can remove micro- and nanoplastics from water and wastewater, since conventional treatment plants cannot fully eliminate these particles. Researchers found that techniques like ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and membrane bioreactors are highly effective at capturing microplastics, though each has trade-offs related to cost, fouling, and energy use. The study also raises the concern that polymeric membranes themselves could potentially release plastic particles during the filtration process.

2025 Membranes 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent approaches and advanced wastewater treatment technologies for mitigating emerging microplastics contamination – A critical review

This review critically assessed advanced wastewater treatment technologies for removing microplastics, noting that conventional treatment plants act as both barriers and point sources for microplastic release into the environment. The study suggests that advanced treatment approaches such as membrane filtration and advanced oxidation processes show promise for improving microplastic removal efficiency from wastewater.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 243 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

Unraveling microplastics removal in wastewater treatment plant: A comparative study of two wastewater treatment plants in Thailand

Researchers compared microplastic removal efficiency at two wastewater treatment plants in Bangkok, finding that a facility equipped with ultrafiltration as a final polishing step achieved substantially higher microplastic removal than conventional treatment alone.

2022 Chemosphere 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Eradication of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment: Overview

This review examined technologies for removing microplastics from wastewater, evaluating physical, chemical, and biological treatment methods and finding that while conventional treatment plants capture a significant fraction, emerging technologies like membrane filtration and coagulation are needed to achieve more complete removal.

2022 Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and removal mechanism of microplastics in urban wastewater plants systems via different processes

Researchers compared the microplastic removal efficiency of three wastewater treatment technologies and found that the anaerobic-anoxic-oxic process achieved the highest removal rate at 83.9%. Most microplastics were transferred to sludge during primary and secondary treatment stages, with dehydrated sludge containing significant concentrations. The study highlights that while wastewater treatment plants effectively intercept most microplastics, they also redistribute contamination to sludge, which may become a secondary pollution source.

2023 Environmental Pollution 65 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

Occurrence of Microplastics in Waste Sludge of Wastewater Treatment Plants: Comparison between Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) and Conventional Activated Sludge (CAS) Technologies

Microplastics were compared in sludge from wastewater treatment plants using conventional activated sludge and membrane bioreactor technologies, finding that both produced sludge with significant plastic contamination and that the MBR system showed somewhat different microplastic profiles. The results indicate that sludge disposal is a key route by which microplastics captured in treatment plants are transferred to agricultural land.

2022 Membranes 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative Long-Term Monitoring of Microplastics in the Effluent of Three Different Wastewater Treatment Plants with Two, Three, and Four Treatment Stages

Researchers compared long-term microplastic concentrations in the effluents of three municipal wastewater treatment plants using different treatment technologies: conventional three-stage, four-stage with activated carbon, and two-stage membrane bioreactor. Using standardized methods, they found effluent MP levels varied with treatment concept, providing actionable data for regulators assessing technology requirements.

2025 Water 4 citations