biostudies-literaturePompa-Pernia AMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y UniversidadesERDF A way of making EuropeAgencia Estatal de InvestigaciónEuropean Social Fund: Investing in your future174https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11356002biostudies-literatureUnknown14(8)The persistent presence of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in aquatic environments, particularly via effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), poses significant ecological risks. This study investigated the removal efficiency of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) using a lab-scale aerobic membrane bioreactor (aMBR) equipped with different membrane types: microfiltration (MF), commercial ultrafiltration (c-UF), and recycled ultrafiltration (r-UF) membranes. Performance was assessed using synthetic urban wastewater spiked with PS-NPs, focusing on membrane efficiency, fouling behavior, and microbial community shifts. All aMBR systems achieved high organic matter removal, exceeding a 97% COD reduction in both the control and PS-exposed reactors. While low concentrations of PS-NPs did not significantly impact the sludge settleability or soluble microbial products initially, a higher accumulation increased the carbohydrate concentrations, indicating a protective bacterial response. The microbial community composition also adapted over time under polystyrene stress. All membrane types exhibited substantial NP removal; however, the presence of nano-sized PS particles negatively affected the membrane performance, enhancing the fouling phenomena and increasing transmembrane pressure. Despite this, the r-UF membrane demonstrated comparable efficiency to c-UF, suggesting its potential for sustainable applications. Advanced characterization techniques including pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) were employed for NP detection and quantification.MembranesTreatment of Synthetic Wastewater Containing Polystyrene (PS) Nanoplastics by Membrane Bioreactor (MBR): Study of the Effects on Microbial Community and Membrane Fouling.PMC11356002PRE2019-088421RTI2018-096042-B-C21PID2022-143233OB-I00PID2019-111519RA-I00Molina SLandaburu-Aguirre JCherta LPompa-Pernia AMartinez-Garcia LfalseTreatment of Synthetic Wastewater Containing Polystyrene (PS) Nanoplastics by Membrane Bioreactor (MBR): Study of the Effects on Microbial Community and Membrane Fouling.The persistent presence of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in aquatic environments, particularly via effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), poses significant ecological risks. This study investigated the removal efficiency of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) using a lab-scale aerobic membrane bioreactor (aMBR) equipped with different membrane types: microfiltration (MF), commercial ultrafiltration (c-UF), and recycled ultrafiltration (r-UF) membranes. Performance was assessed using synthetic urban wastewater spiked with PS-NPs, focusing on membrane efficiency, fouling behavior, and microbial community shifts. All aMBR systems achieved high organic matter removal, exceeding a 97% COD reduction in both the control and PS-exposed reactors. While low concentrations of PS-NPs did not significantly impact the sludge settleability or soluble microbial products initially, a higher accumulation increased the carbohydrate concentrations, indicating a protective bacterial response. The microbial community composition also adapted over time under polystyrene stress. All membrane types exhibited substantial NP removal; however, the presence of nano-sized PS particles negatively affected the membrane performance, enhancing the fouling phenomena and increasing transmembrane pressure. Despite this, the r-UF membrane demonstrated comparable efficiency to c-UF, suggesting its potential for sustainable applications. Advanced characterization techniques including pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) were employed for NP detection and quantification.2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Aug2025-04-26T21:18:51.748Z2025-04-06T16:46:50.747ZS-EPMC113560023919542610.3390/membranes14080174