Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Nationwide evaluation of microplastic properties in municipal wastewater treatment plants in South Korea

Researchers evaluated microplastic levels at 22 municipal wastewater treatment plants across South Korea and found that while the plants remove over 99% of microplastics, the sheer volume of treated water still releases significant quantities into receiving waterways. Most removal happened during the sedimentation stage, and the most common microplastic types found were fragments and fibers under 300 micrometers. The study suggests that despite high removal efficiency, wastewater treatment plants remain an important source of microplastic discharge into the environment.

2024 Environmental Pollution 23 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

Occurrence and Removal of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Perspectives on Shape, Type, and Density

Researchers compiled data from multiple countries on microplastic removal efficiency across different stages of wastewater treatment plants. They found that removal rates varied widely, from 48% in some facilities to over 90% in others, depending on the treatment technologies employed. The study suggests that while conventional wastewater treatment can capture a significant portion of microplastics, advanced tertiary treatment methods are needed to further reduce discharge into the environment.

2024 Water 11 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 and Removal of Microplastic in Sewage Treatment Facilities in Chungcheongbuk-do

This study measured microplastic concentrations in the inflow and discharge of four sewage treatment plants in South Korea and found that treatment processes removed some microplastics but not all. The facilities were identified as potential point sources of microplastic discharge into nearby rivers. The findings support the need for upgraded treatment technologies that specifically target microplastic removal from municipal wastewater.

2023 Journal of Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Treatment characteristics of microplastics at biological sewage treatment facilities in Korea

A study of two biological sewage treatment facilities in South Korea found that microplastics were present in influent at high concentrations but that treatment removed 80-95% of particles, with sludge as the main repository for retained microplastics. The results confirm that while treatment significantly reduces microplastic discharge, effluent still releases large numbers of particles into receiving waters.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 213 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Microplastics Behavior and Properties in Public Sewage Treatment Plant and Pre-treatment with Microbubbles

Korean researchers tracked microplastics through different stages of a public sewage treatment plant and tested microbubble pre-treatment to improve removal. Microplastic concentrations dropped from 719 particles per liter in raw sewage to 16 per liter after tertiary treatment, and microbubble aeration further enhanced early-stage removal.

2023 Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 86 citations
Article Tier 2

National Reconnaissance Survey of Microplastics in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants in Korea

A nationwide survey of South Korean wastewater treatment plants found that large quantities of microplastics are discharged into freshwater environments, with treatment processes only partially effective at removing them. The study highlights WWTPs as a major pathway for microplastic entry into rivers and ultimately the ocean.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 152 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 22 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

Recent advances on microplastics pollution and removal from wastewater systems: A critical review

This review summarizes the latest research on microplastic detection, occurrence, and removal in wastewater treatment plants. While treatment plants can remove 57-99% of microplastics depending on the stage, significant amounts still escape into the environment through treated water and sludge. The findings highlight the need for advanced treatment methods to prevent microplastics from reaching waterways and ultimately human water supplies.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics removal through water treatment plants: Its feasibility, efficiency, future prospects and enhancement by proper waste management

Researchers reviewed over 80 studies on water treatment plant performance and found microplastic removal ranges widely — from 16% in basic primary treatment up to near 100% with advanced membrane systems — but a major flaw is that removed microplastics concentrate in sludge, which can re-enter the environment. The review recommends optimizing coagulants and sludge treatment to prevent microplastics from simply being relocated rather than eliminated.

2021 Environmental Challenges 181 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

Evaluation of microplastic removal efficiency of wastewater-treatment plants in a developing country, Vietnam

Researchers evaluated microplastic removal efficiency at four wastewater treatment plants in Vietnam, finding removal rates of 92-99% but substantial daily microplastic loads still entering receiving waters through effluent discharge.

2023 Environmental Technology & Innovation 59 citations
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

Occurrence and Removal of Microplastics in Tertiary Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Case Study of Three Plants in Zhengzhou, China

Researchers studied microplastic occurrence and removal efficiency at three wastewater treatment plants in Zhengzhou, China. The study found influent concentrations ranging from 147 to 289 particles per liter, with removal efficiencies between 76% and 91%, indicating that while treatment plants significantly reduce microplastic levels, substantial quantities still pass through to receiving waters.

2024 Processes 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization and Removal of Microplastics in Different Stages of Wastewater Treatment Plants

This review examines the types, shapes, and sizes of microplastics found in domestic and industrial wastewaters and evaluates the removal efficiency of different treatment processes across wastewater treatment plant stages, noting that no existing process achieves 100% removal.

2024
Article Tier 2

Fate of Microplastic Pollution Along the Water and Sludge Lines in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants

Researchers evaluated microplastic abundance and distribution across three municipal wastewater treatment plants using different treatment technologies. The study found that all three plants achieved greater than 97% microplastic removal along the water treatment line, with microplastics concentrating in the sludge fraction, underscoring the important role of sludge treatment in sequestering microplastics from wastewater.

2025 Microplastics 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of Microplastics in Domestic Wastewater and Microplastics Removal Potential in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Researchers examined the distribution of microplastics in domestic wastewater in Indonesia and assessed the microplastic removal potential of wastewater treatment plants, using digestion, vacuum filtration, and microscopy to identify microplastics by concentration, shape, size, and color across treatment stages.

2023 Journal of Ecological Engineering 3 citations
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
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Removal of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: insights from a literature meta-analysis

Researchers analyzed 147 studies covering 509 real wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to assess how effectively they remove microplastics, finding a median removal rate of 95% after full tertiary treatment. However, significant data gaps remain — especially around the fate of microplastics in sewage sludge and the behavior of very small particles — underscoring the need for standardized testing methods across facilities.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 6 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Evaluation of conventional wastewater treatment plants efficiency to remove microplastics in terms of abundance, size, shape, and type: A systematic review and Meta-analysis

Conventional wastewater treatment plants progressively reduce microplastic abundance from ~124 items/L in influent down to ~2 items/L after tertiary treatment, but significant publication bias was detected across the 77 studies analyzed, suggesting reported removal efficiencies may be skewed.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 77 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 8 citations