IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v227y2026ics1364032125012079.html

Overcoming micro/nanoplastics-induced inhibition in anaerobic digestion: Advances in remediation techniques

Author

Listed:
  • Ismail, Sherif
  • Mostafa, Alsayed
  • Dhar, Bipro Ranjan

Abstract

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a proven and enduring technology widely employed for sustainable waste management and renewable energy recovery. However, growing evidence indicates that micro/nanoplastics (MPs/NPs), increasingly released into waste and wastewater streams, can disrupt the stability and efficacy of the AD process. While several promising remediation strategies have been proposed in previous studies, thorough mechanistic evaluations of these techniques remain limited. This review comprehensively discusses how MPs/NPs affect AD performance, including reductions in biogas yield, organic degradation efficiency and effluent quality. Key inhibition mechanisms, such as physical damage to microbial cells, enzyme suppression, and the propagation of antibiotic resistance genes, are covered. Importantly, for the first time, the review provides a detailed overview of the emerging remediation strategies that mitigate the impacts of MPs/NPs on AD. Strategies such as thermal hydrolysis, ultrasonication, alkaline conditioning, ozonation, Fenton oxidation, and carbon-based additives are comparatively evaluated. Special attention is paid to how these strategies counteract MPs/NPs-induced stress, restore microbial activity, and enhance AD system resilience. Their practical applicability, advantages, limitations and environmental implications are also addressed. Looking forward, this review spotlights the future research directions needed to enhance the resiliency of the AD process treating MPs/NPs-laden waste streams. This review can serve as a foundational reference for researchers and practitioners seeking to develop efficient strategies to overcome MPs/NPs-caused detrimental impacts on AD process.

Suggested Citation

  • Ismail, Sherif & Mostafa, Alsayed & Dhar, Bipro Ranjan, 2026. "Overcoming micro/nanoplastics-induced inhibition in anaerobic digestion: Advances in remediation techniques," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:227:y:2026:i:c:s1364032125012079
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2025.116534
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032125012079
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2025.116534?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhang, Cunsheng & Su, Haijia & Baeyens, Jan & Tan, Tianwei, 2014. "Reviewing the anaerobic digestion of food waste for biogas production," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 383-392.
    2. Ahmed Tawfik & Shou-Qing Ni & Hanem. M. Awad & Sherif Ismail & Vinay Kumar Tyagi & Mohd Shariq Khan & Muhammad Abdul Qyyum & Moonyong Lee, 2021. "Recent Approaches for the Production of High Value-Added Biofuels from Gelatinous Wastewater," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-18, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Abhinav Choudhury & Stephanie Lansing, 2019. "Methane and Hydrogen Sulfide Production from Co-Digestion of Gummy Waste with a Food Waste, Grease Waste, and Dairy Manure Mixture," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-12, November.
    2. Zhang, Jingxin & Li, Wangliang & Lee, Jonathan & Loh, Kai-Chee & Dai, Yanjun & Tong, Yen Wah, 2017. "Enhancement of biogas production in anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and waste activated sludge by biological co-pretreatment," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 479-486.
    3. Senghor, A. & Dioh, R.M.N. & Müller, C. & Youm, I., 2017. "Cereal crops for biogas production: A review of possible impact of elevated CO2," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 548-554.
    4. Li, Yangyang & Jin, Yiying & Li, Hailong & Borrion, Aiduan & Yu, Zhixin & Li, Jinhui, 2018. "Kinetic studies on organic degradation and its impacts on improving methane production during anaerobic digestion of food waste," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 136-147.
    5. Pérez-Rodríguez, N. & García-Bernet, D. & Domínguez, J.M., 2017. "Extrusion and enzymatic hydrolysis as pretreatments on corn cob for biogas production," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 597-603.
    6. Sun, Chihe & Xia, Ao & Liao, Qiang & Fu, Qian & Huang, Yun & Zhu, Xun, 2019. "Life-cycle assessment of biohythane production via two-stage anaerobic fermentation from microalgae and food waste," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 395-410.
    7. A. Sinan Akturk & Goksel N. Demirer, 2020. "Improved Food Waste Stabilization and Valorization by Anaerobic Digestion Through Supplementation of Conductive Materials and Trace Elements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-11, June.
    8. Zhang, Jingxin & Hu, Qiang & Qu, Yiyuan & Dai, Yanjun & He, Yiliang & Wang, Chi-Hwa & Tong, Yen Wah, 2020. "Integrating food waste sorting system with anaerobic digestion and gasification for hydrogen and methane co-production," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    9. Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar & Ferreira, Jorge A. & Sirohi, Ranjna & Sarsaiya, Surendra & Khoshnevisan, Benyamin & Baladi, Samin & Sindhu, Raveendran & Binod, Parameswaran & Pandey, Ashok & Juneja, Ankita & , 2021. "A critical review on the development stage of biorefinery systems towards the management of apple processing-derived waste," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    10. Salah Jellali & Yassine Charabi & Muhammad Usman & Abdullah Al-Badi & Mejdi Jeguirim, 2021. "Investigations on Biogas Recovery from Anaerobic Digestion of Raw Sludge and Its Mixture with Agri-Food Wastes: Application to the Largest Industrial Estate in Oman," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-20, March.
    11. Zhang, Cunsheng & Kang, Xinxin & Wang, Fenghuan & Tian, Yufei & Liu, Tao & Su, Yanyan & Qian, Tingting & Zhang, Yifeng, 2020. "Valorization of food waste for cost-effective reducing sugar recovery in a two-stage enzymatic hydrolysis platform," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    12. Kim, Jung-Hun & Oh, Jeong-Ik & Tsang, Yiu Fai & Park, Young-Kwon & Lee, Jechan & Kwon, Eilhann E., 2020. "CO2-assisted catalytic pyrolysis of digestate with steel slag," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    13. Jasmine Sie Ming Tiong & Yi Jing Chan & Jun Wei Lim & Mardawani Mohamad & Chii-Dong Ho & Anisa Ur Rahmah & Worapon Kiatkittipong & Wipoo Sriseubsai & Izumi Kumakiri, 2021. "Simulation and Optimization of Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Food Waste with Palm Oil Mill Effluent for Biogas Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-22, December.
    14. Wang, Haoqi & Zhang, Siduo & Bi, Xiaotao & Clift, Roland, 2020. "Greenhouse gas emission reduction potential and cost of bioenergy in British Columbia, Canada," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    15. Baena-Moreno, Francisco M. & Sebastia-Saez, Daniel & Pastor-Pérez, Laura & Reina, Tomas Ramirez, 2021. "Analysis of the potential for biogas upgrading to syngas via catalytic reforming in the United Kingdom," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    16. Mancini, Enrico & Tian, Hailin & Angelidaki, Irini & Fotidis, Ioannis A., 2021. "The implications of using organic-rich industrial wastewater as biomethanation feedstocks," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    17. Chen, Ting & Shen, Dongsheng & Jin, Yiying & Li, Hailong & Yu, Zhixin & Feng, Huajun & Long, Yuyang & Yin, Jun, 2017. "Comprehensive evaluation of environ-economic benefits of anaerobic digestion technology in an integrated food waste-based methane plant using a fuzzy mathematical model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 666-677.
    18. Zhao, Shufeng & Guo, Hongyu & Liu, Ang & Chen, Zhenhong & Li, Guofu & Chen, Linyong & Shen, Ye, 2024. "Methane production and microbial community characteristics in the co-digestion of biodegradable plastics with lignite," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    19. Shi, Yi & Xu, Jiuping, 2023. "A multi-objective approach to kitchen waste and excess sludge co-digestion for biomethane production with anaerobic digestion," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 262(PA).
    20. Ganzoury, Mohamed A. & Allam, Nageh K., 2015. "Impact of nanotechnology on biogas production: A mini-review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 1392-1404.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:227:y:2026:i:c:s1364032125012079. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.