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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics in an urban wastewater treatment plant: The influence of physicochemical parameters and environmental factors
ClearMicroplastic distributions in a domestic wastewater treatment plant: Removal efficiency, seasonal variation and influence of sampling technique
A year-long study of a municipal wastewater treatment plant found 97% removal efficiency for microplastics overall, but fibers made up a larger proportion of remaining particles in treated water than in raw sewage, and winter samples had notably higher microplastic concentrations. The study highlights seasonal variation as an important factor in assessing wastewater microplastic loads.
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.
Spatiotemporal Distribution Characteristics and Removal Efficiency of Microplastics in a Wastewater Treatment Plant
Researchers examined microplastic removal efficiency across three seasons at a wastewater treatment plant in Zhengzhou, China, sampling influent, process effluent, and final effluent. They found an overall removal efficiency of 86%, with polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate as the dominant polymer types and fragment- and granule-shaped particles comprising over 80% of microplastics detected.
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.
Long-Term Occurrence and Fate of Microplastics in WWTPs: A Case Study in Southwest Europe
A long-term monitoring study of a wastewater treatment plant in southwest Europe tracked microplastic concentrations across all treatment stages over multiple sampling campaigns, finding consistent plastic removal in the range of 90% but with treated effluent and sludge still containing substantial amounts. The study demonstrates the value of repeated sampling for understanding seasonal and operational variability in microplastic fate at WWTPs.
Seasonal variation and removal efficiency of microplastics in wastewater treatment: a year-long study across three municipal water reclamation plants
A year-long study across three municipal water reclamation plants found significant seasonal variation in microplastic concentrations and removal efficiencies, with effective but incomplete removal leaving residual microplastics in effluent that posed low to medium ecological risks to receiving water bodies.
Effects of different treatment processes in four municipal wastewater treatment plants on the transport and fate of microplastics
Researchers investigated microplastic transport and fate across four municipal wastewater treatment plants in southeastern China, finding that different treatment processes varied in their microplastic removal efficiency, with fibers and fragments as the dominant types.
Seasonal variation and complex analysis of microplastic distribution in different WWTP treatment stages in Lithuania
A seasonal 12-month monitoring study of a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Lithuania measured microplastic concentrations in wastewater and sludge through all treatment stages. Microplastics were detected throughout the plant with overall removal efficiencies above 90%, but seasonal variation in inflow concentrations reflected climate-driven changes in stormwater inputs.
Seasonal Variations in Microplastic Abundance and Removal Efficiency in Wastewater Treatment Plants in Bangkok, Thailand
A study of Bangkok wastewater treatment plants found microplastic removal efficiency ranged from 16–85% depending on season, with higher microplastic abundance during the wet season and PET, PE, and PP fibers as the dominant polymer types in both influent and effluent.
Characteristics and removal of microplastics in urban domestic WWTP system: A case study in Bandung city, Indonesia
Four communal wastewater treatment plants in Bandung, Indonesia had high incoming microplastic concentrations averaging 537.5 particles/L, with fibers (52%) and particles 1,001–5,000 µm dominant, but showed partial removal efficiency during treatment.
Understanding microplastic presence in different wastewater treatment processes: Removal efficiency and source identification
Researchers tracked microplastic removal across different treatment stages at two wastewater treatment plants and found overall removal rates of 90% and 97%. They discovered that population density in the served area was a bigger driver of influent microplastic levels than sewage volume, and that activated sludge served as the primary trap for captured particles. The study identified laundry washing and daily consumer products as the main sources of microplastics entering the treatment plants.
Microplastic sampling strategies in urban drainage systems for quantification of urban emissions based on transport pathways
Researchers developed and applied microplastic sampling strategies across an entire urban municipal catchment under both dry and wet weather conditions, finding that wastewater treatment plants remove over 96% of microplastics but still emit 189 kg per year, while wet-weather emissions from high-traffic subcatchments reached 1,952 grams per population equivalent per year, far exceeding dry-weather levels.
Identification and Analysis of Plastic Microparticles in the Inlet and Outlet of the Wastewater Treatment Plant and Investigation of the Relationship between Different Seasons of the Year with the Amount of Production and Emission of Particles
Researchers identified and characterized microplastics at the inlet and outlet of a wastewater treatment plant across different seasons, finding that conventional treatment fails to fully remove microplastics and that particle concentrations and types varied with seasonal changes.
Microplastics removal in wastewater treatment plants: a critical review
This critical review of microplastic removal in wastewater treatment plants examines removal efficiencies across different treatment stages, finding that while WWTPs remove the majority of microplastics from influent, they still release millions of particles daily and are a major pathway for microplastics entering aquatic environments.
Unravelling capability of municipal wastewater treatment plant in Thailand for microplastics: Effects of seasonality on detection, fate and transport
Microplastic fate and transport in a wastewater treatment plant in Nonthaburi, Thailand were tracked during both dry and wet seasons, finding that seasonal variation in flow rates and influent composition affected microplastic removal efficiency and the polymer types discharged to the receiving environment.
Occurrence Characterization and Contamination Risk Evaluation of Microplastics in Hefei’s Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant
Researchers characterized microplastic contamination at various stages of a wastewater treatment plant in Hefei, China, under both dry and rainy weather conditions. They found that while the treatment process removed a significant portion of microplastics, notable amounts still passed into the effluent, with rain increasing contamination levels. The study provides a detailed assessment of how effectively current wastewater treatment technology handles microplastic pollution.
Microplastic occurrence and characteristics in a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Jakarta
A Jakarta wastewater treatment plant was found to remove about 91% of incoming microplastics, yet still discharged an estimated 352 microplastic particles per second into the aquatic environment. Fibers were the dominant shape, and particles ranged from 100 to 5,000 µm. This study highlights that even efficient treatment plants are significant ongoing sources of microplastic pollution in urban waterways.
Quantification and Characterization of Microplastics in Seven Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants
Wastewater treatment plants are a key pathway through which microplastics enter rivers and coastal waters, and this six-month study across seven Spanish treatment plants found that conventional processes offer inconsistent and often inadequate protection. Microplastics were present in all samples, and in some cases effluent concentrations were nearly as high as influent concentrations — meaning the plants were adding little removal value for plastic particles. The dominance of synthetic fibers and the seasonal variation observed point to the need for better tertiary treatment steps to capture microplastics before discharge.
Toward a Better Understanding of the Contribution of Wastewater Treatment Plants to Microplastic Pollution in Receiving Waterways
This review examines how wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) contribute to microplastic pollution in receiving waterways, synthesizing evidence on removal efficiencies of different treatment stages and the characteristics of microplastics that escape into the environment. Researchers found that while WWTPs remove the majority of incoming microplastics, they remain a significant source of microplastic discharge due to the large volumes of wastewater processed daily.
Microplastics in Mediterranean coastal wastewater treatment plants: Seasonal trends driven by tourism and weather conditions
Researchers monitored microplastics at two Mediterranean coastal wastewater treatment plants in Spain, finding influent concentrations of 30-75 particles/L with seasonal peaks in warmer months, removal efficiencies of 73-86%, and significant correlations between microplastic concentrations and both temperature and precipitation, with polypropylene and polyethylene dominating polymer profiles.
Fate and occurrence of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants
This review summarizes recent research on the abundance and removal of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants, examining how different treatment stages capture or release microplastic particles and assessing the overall efficiency of current infrastructure.
Microplastics in an advanced wastewater treatment plant: sustained and robust removal rates unfazed by seasonal variations
Researchers evaluated microplastic removal at an advanced wastewater treatment plant discharging into the Mediterranean Sea across three seasonal campaigns. The plant achieved removal rates above 99% consistently, with efficiency remaining robust even during rainy and high-tourism periods. The study found that primary treatment stages, particularly coagulation and settling, were most effective at capturing microplastics, with polyester being the predominant polymer type detected.
Distribution characteristics of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants in mega cities–the case study of Chengdu City
Researchers studied microplastic distribution and removal across wastewater treatment plant processes in China, finding that WWTPs intercept large quantities of MPs before discharge but that residual concentrations in effluent still represent a significant pathway for environmental MP release.
Wastewater treatment plants as a source of microplastics to an urban estuary: Removal efficiencies and loading per capita over one year
Three South Carolina wastewater treatment plants were monitored for microplastic loads and removal efficiencies monthly over a year, finding removal of 59–98% with concentrations in effluent varying 4.8-fold between samples and no seasonal trend. The study demonstrates that even large, well-operated WWTPs release substantial quantities of microplastics year-round to receiving estuaries.