Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effect of polytetrafluoroethylene nanoplastics on combined inhibition of ciprofloxacin and bivalent copper on nitrogen removal, sludge activity and microbial community in sequencing batch reactor

Researchers examined how polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nanoplastics modify the combined toxicity of ciprofloxacin and bivalent copper on nitrogen removal in a sequencing batch reactor, finding that PTFE nanoplastics adsorbed both contaminants and enhanced their joint inhibition of nitrification and denitrification, reducing ammonia nitrogen elimination and altering the sludge microbial community.

2022 Bioresource Technology 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyvinylchloride microplastics on the toxicity of nanoparticles and antibiotics to aerobic granular sludge: Nitrogen removal, microbial community and resistance genes

Researchers examined how PVC microplastics affect wastewater treatment systems that also contain copper oxide nanoparticles and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. They found that low concentrations of microplastics actually reduced some toxic effects of the other pollutants, but higher concentrations worsened nitrogen removal efficiency and increased antibiotic resistance genes. The study highlights the complex ways microplastics can alter the behavior of other contaminants in water treatment.

2023 Environmental Research 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-occurrence of microplastics and triclosan inhibited nitrification function and enriched antibiotic resistance genes in nitrifying sludge

Researchers found that co-exposure to four types of microplastics (PE, PS, PVC, and PA) and the antimicrobial agent triclosan inhibited nitrification function and enriched antibiotic resistance genes in nitrifying sludge from wastewater treatment. The combined presence of microplastics and triclosan posed greater risk to biological wastewater treatment performance than either contaminant alone.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 110 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of microplastic polyvinylchloride and antibiotics tetracycline co-effect on the partial nitrification process

This study investigated the combined effects of PVC microplastics and the antibiotic tetracycline on nitrification — the biological process by which wastewater treatment plants remove ammonia from sewage. Both pollutants reduced nitrification efficiency, and their combined presence caused greater disruption than either alone, complicating the treatment of wastewater that contains multiple contaminants.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics accumulation and antibiotics contamination in anaerobic membrane bioreactors for municipal wastewater treatment

This study found that when aged PVC microplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin are both present in wastewater treatment systems, they interact to make each other's harmful effects worse. The combination cut treatment efficiency in half and disrupted the microbes needed for wastewater processing, raising concerns about how microplastic pollution could undermine water treatment that protects public health.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-term exposure of polytetrafluoroethylene-nanoplastics on the nitrogen removal and extracellular polymeric substances in sequencing batch reactor

Researchers investigated the long-term effects of polytetrafluoroethylene nanoplastics on nitrogen removal and extracellular polymeric substances in a sequencing batch reactor system. The study found that PTFE nanoplastics reduced the efficiency of chemical oxygen demand and ammonia nitrogen removal, and altered microbial activity and the composition of extracellular polymers in the biological wastewater treatment process.

2023 Enzyme and Microbial Technology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of ultraviolet aged polytetrafluoroethylene microplastics on copper bioavailability and Microcystis aeruginosa growth

This study found that polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, the material in Teflon) microplastics increased the availability of toxic copper to algae in water, promoting harmful algal blooms. Interestingly, UV aging of the microplastics reduced some of their toxic effects on algae. The research highlights how microplastics can change the behavior of other pollutants in water, potentially worsening environmental contamination that ultimately affects human water sources.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating effects of tetrabromobisphenol A and microplastics on anaerobic granular sludge: Physicochemical properties, microbial metabolism, and underlying mechanisms

Researchers investigated the combined effects of the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A and two types of microplastics on anaerobic granular sludge used in wastewater treatment. They found that co-exposure altered the physicochemical properties, microbial communities, and metabolic activity of the sludge. The study suggests that the interaction between microplastics and other emerging contaminants may compound their effects on wastewater treatment processes.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The co-occurrent microplastics and nano-CuO showed antagonistic inhibitory effects on bacterial denitrification: Interaction of pollutants and regulations on functional genes

Co-occurring microplastics (PVC, PS, PE) and nano-CuO were found to have antagonistic inhibitory effects on denitrification processes in sediment microbial communities, with combined exposure producing less inhibition than either pollutant alone. The antagonistic interaction has implications for predicting nitrogen cycling disruption in contaminated aquatic environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-effects of silver nanoparticles and microplastics on nitrifying microorganisms from wastewater treatment plants and their activities

This study investigated how silver nanoparticles and microplastics — two emerging contaminants — together affect the bacteria responsible for removing ammonia in wastewater treatment. High concentrations of silver nanoparticles inhibited ammonia oxidation, and the combination with microplastics altered bacterial community composition, raising concerns about wastewater treatment performance.

2022
Article Tier 2

Effects of heavy metals on the adsorption of ciprofloxacin on polyethylene microplastics: Mechanism and toxicity evaluation

Researchers studied how heavy metals in water affect the ability of polyethylene microplastics to absorb the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. They found that heavy metals competed with the antibiotic for binding sites on the microplastic surface, changing how much of each pollutant the plastic could carry. This is important because it shows microplastics in real-world environments may transport different combinations of pollutants, potentially delivering both antibiotics and heavy metals into the food chain.

2023 Chemosphere 83 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic interference influences Pseudomonas fluorescens in denitrification efficiency of wastewater treatment

Researchers investigated how microplastics interfere with Pseudomonas fluorescens activity in denitrification processes at wastewater treatment plants, finding that microplastic contamination disrupted microbial performance and could compromise nitrogen removal from wastewater.

2025
Article Tier 2

Aged microplastics enhance their interaction with ciprofloxacin and joint toxicity on Escherichia coli

Researchers found that aged microplastics showed enhanced adsorption of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin compared to pristine particles, and that their combined exposure produced greater toxicity to E. coli at the molecular level than either pollutant alone.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 39 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effects of Microplastics on Floc Formation, Nutrient Removal and Settleability in Wastewater Treatment

Researchers examined the interactions of microplastics with activated sludge in wastewater treatment plants, investigating effects on floc formation, nutrient removal efficiency, and settleability to understand how microplastic contamination may compromise treatment performance.

2024
Article Tier 2

Deciphering the inhibition mechanisms of microplastics on the full-stage sludge anaerobic digestion via enrichment to anaerobic microbes and toxicity of released compounds

This study found that microplastics in sewage sludge significantly interfere with the waste treatment process by reducing the activity of key microorganisms needed to break down waste. More than half of the negative effect came from toxic chemicals released when microplastic particles rub against sludge, and the disrupted treatment also increased the risk of spreading antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact and microbial mechanism of continuous nanoplastics exposure on the urban wastewater treatment process

Researchers investigated the effects of continuous nanoplastic exposure on wastewater treatment over 200 days, finding that while total nitrogen removal was not significantly inhibited, nanoplastics altered microbial community composition and affected nitrification and denitrification processes.

2022 Water Research 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in granular sequencing batch reactors: Effects on pollutant removal dynamics and the microbial community

Researchers investigated how polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics affect pollutant removal in granular sludge wastewater treatment reactors. They found that microplastic type and concentration influenced nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic compound removal rates, with PET particles showing a stronger tendency to accumulate within the biomass. The study indicates that microplastic contamination in wastewater treatment systems may compromise treatment efficiency and alter microbial community dynamics.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 12 citations
Article Tier 2

A tale of two emerging contaminants: Interfacial interactions, co-transport behaviors and ecotoxicological implications between per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances and micro(nano)plastics.

This review examined how PFAS and micro/nanoplastics co-occur in the environment, form interfacial adsorption complexes, and interact synergistically within organisms. The authors found that the two contaminant classes amplify each other's toxicity in co-exposure scenarios and that their shared transport pathways complicate standard risk assessment.

2026 Advances in colloid and interface science
Article Tier 2

Effect evaluation of microplastics on activated sludge nitrification and denitrification

Researchers found that microplastics entering wastewater treatment plants interfere with the nitrification and denitrification processes carried out by activated sludge microbes, potentially reducing the effectiveness of nutrient removal in sewage treatment. This effect could undermine water quality if microplastic loads in wastewater continue to increase.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 172 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and co-pollutant with ciprofloxacin affect interactions between free-floating macrophytes

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics and ciprofloxacin co-pollutants altered competitive interactions between free-floating macrophytes, with combined exposure affecting plant growth and physiological responses differently than individual pollutant exposure.

2022 Environmental Pollution 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms underlying the detrimental impact of micro(nano)plastics on the stability of aerobic granular sludge: Interactions between micro(nano)plastics and extracellular polymeric substances

Researchers found that both micro- and nanoplastics at realistic concentrations harmed the performance of aerobic granular sludge, a technology used for wastewater treatment, by reducing its ability to remove nitrogen. The plastic particles interacted with the sticky substances that hold the sludge granules together, weakening their structural integrity. The study reveals a specific mechanism by which plastic pollution can undermine wastewater treatment systems that communities rely on for clean water.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 31 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effects of Microplastics on Floc Formation, Nutrient Removal and Settleability in Wastewater Treatment

Researchers investigated how microplastics affect floc formation, nutrient removal, and settleability in wastewater treatment systems, examining the mechanisms by which these ubiquitous anthropogenic pollutants entering via packaging, cosmetics, and other production sectors disrupt activated sludge processes.

2024
Article Tier 2

Role of extracellular polymeric substances in the acute inhibition of activated sludge by polystyrene nanoparticles

Researchers investigated how extracellular polymeric substances — the sticky biofilm matrix produced by bacteria — affected the acute inhibition of activated sludge by microplastics, finding that these substances played a protective role by reducing microplastic toxicity in wastewater treatment systems.

2018 Environmental Pollution 157 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of copper ions and their combination with nanoplastics on the aerobic denitrifying bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri: denitrification performance, physiological and biochemical responses, and transcriptomic changes

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics mitigate copper ion toxicity in the aerobic denitrifying bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri by enhancing extracellular polymeric substance secretion and upregulating nitrogen metabolism genes, with transcriptomic analysis revealing the mechanistic basis for improved denitrification performance under combined copper-nanoplastic stress.

2025 Environmental Science Nano