Study on the presence of microplastics in sewage sludge.
The presence of microplastics has now been established in both water and soil, as well as in the biosphere. Precisely because of the still unclearly defined effects in the latter, studies to clarify all aspects of their presence in matrices that allow their mobility have become increasingly urgent. In this work, the scientific literature was thoroughly reviewed in order to assess the presence of these contaminants in sewage sludge, the main residue of wastewater treatment plants. Indeed, studies have shown that the accumulation in sewage sludge and its subsequent transfer to the soil, following the application of sludge as a soil conditioner, is a 'pathway' that has so far been underestimated in the management of the microplastics problem.
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