We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Transport and fate of microplastic particles in wastewater treatment plants
ClearImproved 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.
Tracing the fate of microplastic in wastewater treatment plant: A multi-stage analysis of treatment units and sludge
Researchers tracked microplastics through every stage of a wastewater treatment plant and found that while treatment removes many particles from the water, most end up concentrated in the leftover sludge. Fibers and fragments were the most common shapes, made primarily of polyester and polyethylene. Since treated sludge is often spread on farmland, this creates a pathway for microplastics to enter soil and potentially the food chain.
Transport and accumulation of microplastics through wastewater treatment sludge processes
Researchers tracked microplastic concentrations through each stage of wastewater treatment sludge processing — including thickening, anaerobic digestion, and dewatering — finding that each step altered MP abundance and size distribution, with digestion fragmenting some particles into smaller pieces rather than eliminating them.
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.
Fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants and their environmental dispersion with effluent and sludge
Researchers tracked microplastics through a wastewater treatment plant and found 12 different polymer types in effluents and sludge, with smaller particles (25–104 μm) most abundant and fibres displaying lower sizes than fragments. The study demonstrates that WWTPs do not fully remove microplastics and that processed sludge marketed as soil amendment carries plastic contamination.
Tracking and risk assessment of microplastics in a wastewater treatment plant
This study tracked and assessed risks from microplastics through all stages of a wastewater treatment plant, quantifying plastic loads in influent, effluent, and sludge, and identifying which treatment steps provide the greatest removal.
Where do they go? A review of the wastewater treatment process and its impact on the fate of microplastics
This review examines the fate of microplastics across the physical, chemical, and biological stages of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) processes, finding that WWTPs act as both sources and destinations for microplastics while not being designed to remove them, and surveying new removal strategies.
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.
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.
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.
Characteristics and removal efficiency of microplastics in sewage treatment plant of Xi'an City, northwest China
Researchers systematically tracked microplastic transport, characteristics, and removal through both the sewage and sludge treatment streams of a Chinese wastewater treatment plant. The study found that while most microplastics were removed from effluent, substantial quantities accumulated in sludge.
Assessing the fate of microplastics in multi-stage treatment units through distribution patterns and settling dynamics models
Researchers evaluated the fate of microplastics across multiple treatment stages in wastewater treatment plants using diversity indices and settling dynamics models. They found that MPs were distributed across both water and sludge phases, with removal efficiency varying by treatment stage and particle characteristics.
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.
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.
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 wastewater treatment plants: Sources, properties, removal efficiency, removal mechanisms, and interactions with pollutants
This review examines microplastic sources, properties, removal efficiency, and removal mechanisms across different wastewater treatment plant stages. Researchers found that while treatment plants remove a significant portion of microplastics, they cannot eliminate them entirely, resulting in the continued release of millions of particles into the environment daily through effluent and sludge.
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.
Circulation of microplastics in a municipal wastewater treatment plant with multiphase activated sludge
Researchers tracked the circulation of microplastics through a municipal wastewater treatment plant, from raw wastewater through sludge processing. They found that most microplastics accumulated in sewage sludge at high concentrations, and that leachate from sludge treatment recycled microplastics back into the treatment process. The study highlights how wastewater treatment plants can inadvertently redistribute microplastics rather than fully removing them from the waste stream.
The fate of microplastics in an Italian Wastewater Treatment Plant
Microplastics were tracked through influent, settler, and effluent stages of a major northern Italian WWTP (serving 1.2 million population equivalents), finding high removal efficiency but continued discharge of fibers and fragments to receiving water and concentration of retained plastics in sludge. The study provides detailed mass flow data for an Italian WWTP and highlights sludge as the dominant plastic-retention compartment.
A global review of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: Understanding their occurrence, fate and impact
A global review of 121 wastewater treatment plants found that microplastics are consistently present in both influent and effluent, with WWTPs acting as major conduits delivering plastics into aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. While removal efficiencies varied widely, the sludge produced by these plants represents a concentrated secondary pathway for microplastic release to land.
The course of microplastics before and after UK WWTPs and their release into the environment.
This study tracked microplastics through UK wastewater treatment plants from influent to effluent and biosolids, finding that while treatment removes the majority of microplastics from the water stream, significant quantities are concentrated in biosolids spread on agricultural land.
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.
Study of occurrence, abundance, and characterization of microplastics in wastewater treatment plant in New Delhi, India
Researchers quantified microplastic prevalence in influent, treated effluent, and sludge from a wastewater treatment plant in New Delhi, finding that MPs are present throughout the treatment process and that the plant incompletely removes them, discharging MPs into receiving waters.
Identification and quantification of microplastics in wastewater treatment plant effluent: Investigation of the fate and biological effects
This study identified and quantified microplastics in wastewater treatment plant effluents and sludge, finding particles in all samples with fibers being the dominant type. The research contributes to understanding how much microplastic reaches surface waters via wastewater discharge and how much is captured in sludge that is subsequently applied to agricultural land.