Microplastics (MPs) (plastic particles <5 mm) are globally acknowledged as a serious emerging micropollutant, which passes through various pathways in natural habitats and eventually ends up in our food chain. In this context, the present study critically reviews recent advances in MPs sampling and detection, occurrence, fate, and removal in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by delineating their characteristics that manifest toxicity in the environment via effluent discharge. While there is currently no standard protocol in place, this work examined and compared the latest approaches adopted for improved sampling, sample processing, and characterization of MPs via fluorescence imaging and certified reference materials for method validation. MPs concentration from different sources in the WWTPs varies considerably ranging between 0.28 and 18285 MPs/L (raw wastewater), 0.004-750 MPs/L (effluent), and 0.00023-10380 MPs/kg (sludge). Assessment of MPs removal efficiency across different treatment stages in various in WWTPs has been performed and elucidated their removal mechanisms. The overall MPs removal efficiency in primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment stages in WWTPs reported to be around 57-99%, 78.1-99.4%, and 90-99.2%, respectively. Moreover, the review covers advanced treatment methods for removing MPs, including membrane bioreactors, coagulation/flocculation, ultrafiltration, rapid sand filtration, ozonation, disc filtration, and reverse osmosis, which have been found to be highly effective (>99%). Membrane bioreactors have been proclaimed to be the most reliable secondary treatment technique for MPs removal. Coagulation (92.2-95.7%) followed by ozonation (99.2%) as a tertiary treatment chain has been demonstrated to be the most efficient in removing MPs from secondary-treated wastewater effluent. Further, the review delineates the effect of different treatment stages on the physical and chemical characteristics of MPs, associated toxicity, and potential impact factors that can influence the MPs removal efficiency in WWTPs. Conclusively, the merits and demerits of advanced treatment techniques to mitigate MPs pollution from the wastewater system, research gaps, and future perspectives have been highlighted.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118014 | DOI Listing |
Mar Pollut Bull
January 2025
Universitat Rovira i Virgili, School of Medicine, Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, 43201 Reus, Catalonia, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), 43204 Reus, Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address:
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants found worldwide, not only in environmental matrices but also in the food web. The present study aimed to establish better removal rates of MPs in cultivated or harvested edible bivalves currently on the market. Samples of three species (mussels, oysters and wedge clams) were collected from a producer at three different depuration times.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Hazard Mater
January 2025
MOE Key Laboratory of Bio-Intelligent Manufacturing, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, PR China.
Microalgae-based wastewater treatment could realize simultaneous nutrients recovery and CO sequestration. However, impacts of environmental microplastics (MPs) and antibiotic co-exposure on microalgal growth, nutrients removal, intracellular nitric oxide (NO) accumulation and subsequent nitrous oxide (NO) emission are unclarified, which could greatly offset the CO sequestration benefit. To reveal the potential impacts of environmental concentrations of MPs and antibiotic co-exposure on microalgal greenhouse gas mitigation, this study investigated the effects of representative MPs (PE, PVC, PA), antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and nitrite (NO-N) in various combinations on attached Chlorella sorokiniana growth, nutrients removal, anti-oxidative responses, and NO emission originated from intracellular NO build-up.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS EST Air
January 2025
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States.
Due to the increased prevalence of plastic pollution globally, atmospheric deposition of microplastics (MPs) is a significant issue that needs to be better understood to identify potential consequences for human health. This study is the first to quantify and characterize atmospheric MP deposition in the Eastern United States. Passive sampling was conducted at two locations within the Eastern United States, specifically in remote South Central Appalachia, from March to September 2023.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWater Res
January 2025
School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Exploitation and Protection, Ministry of Natural Resources, Nanjing 210024, China. Electronic address:
Microplastics (MPs) easily migrate into deeper soil layers, posing potential risks to subterranean habitats and groundwater. However, the mechanisms governing the vertical migration of MPs in soil, particularly aged MPs, remain unclear. In this study, we investigate the transport of MPs under varying MPs properties, soil texture and hydrology conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Chem Soc
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
The bifunctional mechanism, involving multiactive compositions to simultaneously dissociate water molecules and optimize intermediate adsorption, has been widely used in the design of catalysts to boost water electrolysis for sustainable hydrogen energy production but remains debatable due to difficulties in accurately identifying the reaction process. Here, we proposed the concept of well-defined Lewis pairs in single-atom catalysts, with a unique acid-base nature, to comprehensively understand the exact role of multiactive compositions in an alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. By facilely adjusting active moieties, the induced synergistic effect between Lewis pairs (M-P/S/Cr pairs, M = Ru, Ir, Pt) can significantly facilitate the cleavage of the H-OH bond and accelerate the removal of intermediates, thereby switching the rate-determining step from the Volmer step to the Heyrovsky step.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!