Toxic effects of naturally-aged microplastics on zebrafish juveniles: A more realistic approach to plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems.

Micro- and nanoplastics in wastewater treatment plants: Occurrence, removal, fate, impacts and remediation technologies – A critical review

Fate and effects of microplastics in wastewater treatment processes

Microplastics in agricultural soils, wastewater effluents and sewage sludge in Mauritius.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the extensive use of face masks and protective personal equipment (PPE) kits has led to increasing degree of microplastic pollution (MP) because they are typically discarded into the seas, rivers, streets, and other parts of the environment. Currently, microplastic (MP) pollution has a negative impact on the environment because of high-level fragmentation. Typically, MP pollution can be detected by various techniques, such as microscopic analysis, density separation, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. However, there are limited studies on disposable face masks and PPE kits. A wide range of marine species ingest MPs in the form of fibers and fragments, which directly affect the environment and human health; thus, more research and development are needed on the effect of MP pollution on human health. This article provides a perspective on the origin and distribution of MP pollution in waterbodies (e.g., rivers, ponds, lakes, and seas) and wastewater treatment plants, and reviews the possible remediation of MP pollution related to the excessive disposal of face masks and PPE kits to aquatic environments. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2022.102290

Microplastics waste in environment: A perspective on recycling issues from PPE kits and face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic

Separation and identification of microplastics from primary and secondary effluents and activated sludge from wastewater treatment plants

Effect of polyethylene microplastics on activated sludge process - Accumulation in the sludge and influence on the process and on biomass characteristics

M.A Bes-Piá

Papers

Separation and identification of microplastics from primary and secondary effluents and activated sludge from wastewater treatment plants

Effect of polyethylene microplastics on activated sludge process - Accumulation in the sludge and influence on the process and on biomass characteristics

An innovative approach to the application of ultrasounds to remove polyethylene microspheres from activated sludge