Microplastics in Waste Treatment: Removal, Transformation, and Unintended Release
A special issue of Micro (ISSN 2673-8023).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 8
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Waste treatment systems serve as both barriers and potential secondary sources of microplastic pollution. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) remove a significant portion of microplastics from influent; however, captured particles often accumulate in sludge and may re-enter the environment through land application. Similarly, solid waste processes—such as shredding, composting, landfilling, or thermal treatment—can fragment larger plastics into microplastics.
This Special Issue aims to explore the fate, transformation, detection, and mitigation of microplastics across various waste management processes, with a particular focus on micro- and nano-scale mechanisms, analytical approaches, and technological solutions. We welcome contributions that address the following topics:
- Mechanisms of microplastic retention and removal in WWTPs, sludge treatment, and landfill systems;
- Formation of micro- and nanoplastics from macroplastic degradation and thermal processes;
- Application of microfluidics, sensors, and analytical tools for microplastic detection and characterization;
- Toxicity, mobility, and environmental fate of particles at the micro/nano scale;
- Strategies to minimize unintentional microplastic release during waste treatment and recycling.
Dr. Yunlong Luo
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micro is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- microplastics
- wastewater treatment
- nanoplastics
- particle characterization
- environmental fate
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
