Mortezaei Yasna, Gaballah Mohamed S, Demirer Goksel N, Lammers Roderick W, Williams Maggie R
Earth and Ecosystem Science, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA.
School of Engineering and Technology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA.
J Hazard Mater. 2025 Jun 5;489:137413. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137413. Epub 2025 Feb 1.
The presence of microplastics (MPs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) disrupt processes and threaten the effectiveness of anaerobic digestion (AD), raising critical environmental and operational concerns. This review assesses MP occurrence in WWTPs and its effects on biogas production and the fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) during AD to understand their impact on process efficiency and environmental health. Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) are the most prevalent types of MPs which are found in WWTP influent at an average concentration of 801.5 particles per liter (P/L), decrease to 38.3 P/L in effluent, and accumulate in sludge at 70.5 P/L. The effect of MPs on AD performance is influenced by MP type, concentration, size, and AD conditions (i.e., feed substrate, reactor configuration, temperature, and incubation time). For example, certain MPs (polyamide 7 (PA7) and PP) increase methane production by 39.5 %, while aged MPs decrease it by 47.2 %. The review also explores how AD drives MP degradation mechanisms like oxidation, hydrolysis, mechanical stress, and biodegradation. Additionally, MPs significantly impact ARGs, with abundance increasing by 0.4-514.4 %, especially with aged MPs. Mechanistic effects of MPs on ARGs dissemination were also discussed, including horizontal gene transfer (reactive oxygen species production, cell membrane permeability, extracellular polymeric substances secretion, and ATP dynamics), vertical gene transfer, microbial community, and adsorbing pollutants. This analysis provides insights into the complex interactions between MPs, microbial processes, and ARGs, highlighting their implications for wastewater treatment and biogas production systems.
污水处理厂（WWTPs）中微塑料（MPs）的存在会干扰处理过程，并威胁厌氧消化（AD）的有效性，引发了关键的环境和运营问题。本综述评估了污水处理厂中微塑料的存在情况及其对沼气生产以及厌氧消化过程中抗生素抗性基因（ARGs）归宿的影响，以了解它们对工艺效率和环境健康的影响。聚丙烯（PP）和聚乙烯（PE）是污水处理厂进水口最常见的微塑料类型，平均浓度为每升801.5个颗粒（P/L），在出水口降至38.3 P/L，并以70.5 P/L的浓度在污泥中积累。微塑料对厌氧消化性能的影响受微塑料类型、浓度、尺寸和厌氧消化条件（即进料底物、反应器配置、温度和培养时间）的影响。例如，某些微塑料（聚酰胺7（PA7）和PP）使甲烷产量增加39.5%，而老化的微塑料则使其降低47.2%。该综述还探讨了厌氧消化如何驱动微塑料的降解机制，如氧化、水解、机械应力和生物降解。此外，微塑料对ARGs有显著影响，其丰度增加0.4 - 514.4%，尤其是老化的微塑料。还讨论了微塑料对ARGs传播的机制影响，包括水平基因转移（活性氧产生、细胞膜通透性、胞外聚合物分泌和ATP动态）、垂直基因转移、微生物群落和吸附污染物。该分析深入了解了微塑料、微生物过程和ARGs之间的复杂相互作用，突出了它们对废水处理和沼气生产系统的影响。
