Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Method development for microplastic analysis in wastewater

This chapter reviews methods for analyzing microplastics in wastewater, comparing techniques for extraction, identification, and quantification. Standardized methods are essential for producing comparable data across studies and tracking microplastic contamination over time.

2019 IWA Publishing eBooks 1 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: A literature review of sampling methods and results

This review chapter summarizes sampling methods and reported microplastic concentrations in wastewater treatment plants across multiple studies. The review highlights wide variation in reported results and calls for standardized monitoring methods to enable meaningful comparisons of microplastic removal efficiency across different treatment facilities.

2020 IWA Publishing eBooks
Article Tier 2

How can we trace microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: A review of the current knowledge on their analysis approaches

This review critically evaluates the analytical methods used to detect microplastics in wastewater treatment plants, covering sampling strategies, extraction and purification procedures, and identification techniques including spectroscopy. The authors highlight a lack of standardized methods as the primary challenge limiting accurate and comparable measurements across studies.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Extraction and analytical methods of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: Isolation patterns, quantification, and size characterization techniques

This review summarizes the different methods scientists use to find, measure, and identify microplastics in wastewater treatment plants. It found 12 distinct sample processing approaches and three categories of analytical techniques currently in use, but no single standardized method exists. The lack of consistent methods makes it hard to compare results across studies and fully understand how much microplastic enters the environment through treated wastewater.

2024 Desalination and Water Treatment 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Validation of Sample Preparation Methods for Microplastic Analysis in Wastewater Matrices—Reproducibility and Standardization

Sample preparation methods for microplastic analysis in wastewater were validated against reference standards to assess recovery rates and reproducibility. The validation study identified methods that reliably extract microplastics from complex wastewater matrices, supporting more consistent environmental monitoring of microplastic discharge from treatment plants.

2020 Water 180 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants: A literature review of sampling methods and results

This literature review summarizes sampling methods and results from studies on microplastics in wastewater treatment plants, comparing approaches and findings across multiple studies. The review is part of a broader book on microplastics in the human water cycle.

2019 IWA Publishing eBooks
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Wastewater

This review examines microplastic detection, occurrence, and removal across wastewater treatment plant stages, finding that while treatment plants are a major source of microplastic pollution, no standardized detection protocols exist and removal efficiency remains inconsistent across facilities.

2023
Article Tier 2

A review of microplastics measuring methods in water and wastewater bodies

This review covers the wide variety of methods used to measure microplastics in water and wastewater, comparing their advantages and limitations. The authors note that lack of standardized methods makes it difficult to compare results across studies and call for international consensus on measurement protocols.

2021 SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología
Article Tier 2

Wastewater treatment plants as a pathway for microplastics: Development of a new approach to sample wastewater-based microplastics

Researchers developed a new sampling and monitoring protocol for microplastics at wastewater treatment plants, enabling more consistent tracking of microplastic loads through treatment stages and discharged effluent.

2017 Water Research 1317 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating wastewater effluent as a source of microplastics in environmental samples

This book chapter reviews how microplastics enter freshwater systems and wastewater treatment plants, and how these plants serve as both a partial barrier and a pathway for microplastics reaching rivers and oceans. Understanding wastewater as a vector is crucial for developing interventions that prevent microplastics from reaching ecosystems.

2020 IWA Publishing eBooks 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Methods to recover and characterize microplastics in wastewater treatment plants

This review systematically examines methods used to recover and characterize microplastics from wastewater treatment plants, identifying key methodological challenges including inconsistent extraction procedures, contamination risks, and varying identification techniques that complicate cross-study comparisons. The authors provide recommendations for standardizing WWTP microplastic analysis to improve the reliability and comparability of removal efficiency data.

2022 Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 55 citations
Review Tier 2

Large Scale Microplastic Fibre Analysis in Wastewater: A Comprehensive Review and Recommendations

This review critically analyzes current and emerging methods for identifying and quantifying microplastic fibers in wastewater, covering sample collection, pretreatment, and analytical techniques. The authors note that there are currently no universally accepted standards for collecting and analyzing microplastic fibers specifically, and that most existing methods were designed for microplastics in general. The study provides recommendations for developing standardized large-scale fiber analysis protocols for wastewater monitoring.

2025 Current Pollution Reports 7 citations
Review Tier 2

A review of methods for the isolation of microplastics in municipal wastewater treatment

This review summarizes methods used to isolate and quantify microplastics from municipal wastewater treatment plants, identifying inconsistencies in sampling and analysis protocols that make it difficult to compare results across studies.

2022 Technical Transactions 6 citations
Article Tier 2

The fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: An overview of source and remediation technologies

This review examines how wastewater treatment plants serve as key pathways for microplastic entry into the environment, analyzing removal efficiencies across different treatment stages and identifying advanced technologies for improved microplastic remediation.

2022 Environmental Technology & Innovation 159 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in wastewater: Sources, distribution, detection and remediation through physical and chemical-biological methods

This review covers how microplastics end up in wastewater from sources like textile fibers, personal care microbeads, and broken-down plastic debris, and how they often survive the treatment process. Current removal methods like filtration and chemical degradation are costly and not fully effective. The lack of standardized ways to measure microplastics in wastewater makes it difficult to assess the full scope of human exposure through water systems.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 118 citations
Article Tier 2

Research progress on microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: A holistic review

This review provides a holistic assessment of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants, covering sampling methods, occurrence patterns across treatment stages, removal efficiencies, and the environmental risks posed by microplastic discharge through effluent and sludge.

2022 Journal of Environmental Management 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Characteristics, Occurrence and Removal Technologies

This review summarizes how wastewater treatment plants are a major pathway for microplastics entering the environment, covering the types, sizes, and sources of microplastics found in wastewater. While treatment plants can remove many microplastics, significant amounts still escape into rivers and oceans through treated water and sludge. The authors evaluate various removal technologies and recommend advanced treatment methods to better prevent microplastics from reaching water supplies.

2024 Water 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating wastewater effluent as a source of microplastics in environmental samples

This book chapter evaluates wastewater effluent as a source of microplastics in environmental samples, reviewing evidence of microplastic presence in freshwater systems, wastewater treatment plants, and associated biota. Researchers found that wastewater treatment plants are a significant conduit for microplastics into freshwater and marine environments despite their partial removal capacity.

2019 IWA Publishing eBooks 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection and removal of microplastics in wastewater: evolution and impact

This review covers methods for detecting and removing microplastics from wastewater, which is a major pathway for microplastics to enter the environment. Microplastics in water can carry heavy metals, disease-causing organisms, and chemical additives, and are eventually consumed by aquatic life that enters the human food chain. The authors emphasize that better wastewater treatment technology is needed to reduce human exposure to microplastics through water and seafood.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 257 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of a Routine Screening Method for the Microplastic Mass Content in a Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent

Researchers developed a routine screening method to quantify microplastic mass content in wastewater treatment plant effluent, addressing the need for standardized, practical monitoring tools that can be integrated into regular facility operations.

2022 Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry 23 citations
Article Tier 2

A Critical Review of Extraction and Identification Methods of Microplastics in Wastewater and Drinking Water

This critical review of methods for detecting microplastics in wastewater and drinking water identifies major inconsistencies in sample collection, processing, and characterization across studies, making it difficult to compare reported concentrations. A five-criteria ranking system is proposed to evaluate the quality and completeness of microplastics studies.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 224 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating Approaches and Technologies for Microplastics in Wastewater Management

This chapter reviews approaches and technologies for managing microplastics in wastewater, covering sources, treatment methods, and environmental fate. The authors note that microplastics enter wastewater from domestic activities, industrial discharges, and stormwater runoff, with particle size distribution and wastewater composition affecting treatment outcomes. The study emphasizes the need for comprehensive strategies to address microplastic contamination before it reaches aquatic ecosystems.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Introduction and Book Overview

This book chapter introduces a volume on microplastics in water and wastewater, surveying conventional treatment plant limitations and the multiple pathways by which microplastics enter and persist in terrestrial and aquatic systems. It frames the challenge of complete microplastic removal as a global priority requiring multi-faceted technological solutions.

2025
Article Tier 2

A review of methods for measuring microplastics in aquatic environments

This review critically evaluates methods used to measure microplastics in aquatic environments, covering sampling design, sample processing, and spectroscopic identification, and identifies the most significant sources of methodological variation. Standardizing these methods is essential for generating comparable data across studies and enabling robust environmental risk assessment.

2018 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 361 citations