Full-scale wastewater treatment facilities are not able to prevent microplastics (MPs) from discharging into natural waters and they are also associated with the land application of the sludge. This study evaluates the distribution of microfibers (MFs) in a lab-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) fed by synthetic wastewater (SW) for 93 days. The MFs were analyzed through optical microscopy in the mixed liquor (ML) and the effluent, and sulfuric acid digestion was applied to discriminate between natural and synthetic MFs (i.e., MPs). The results of the optical microscopy analyses were further validated through FTIR spectroscopy. A model describing the evolution over time of the MF concentration in the ML was created, accounting for the MFs entering the system through the SW and atmospheric deposition. The ratio between the MF concentration in the ML and the effluent was 1409 ± 781, demonstrating that MFs settle with the sludge. Consistently, in the ML, 64.9% of the recovered MFs were smaller than 1000 µm (average size 968 µm), while in the effluent, 76.1% of MFs were smaller than 1000 µm (average size 772 µm). Overall, 72% of MFs recovered from the ML were natural fibers and sulfuric acid digestion was successful in eliminating the natural MFs.

The global energy sector heavily relies on fossil fuels, significantly contributing to climate change. The ambitious European emissions' reduction targets require sustainable processes and alternatives. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of 73 Italian thermal power plants registered to the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) aimed at assessing EMAS effectiveness in addressing and quantifying the environmental impacts of this relevant industrial sector. The analysis was based on EMAS environmental statements, publicly disclosing verified and certified data, with the secondary objective of evaluating if EMAS could be an efficient tool to improve the plants’ environmental performances. An inventory of technical and environmental aspects, adopted indicators, and allocated budgets was based on 2023 data. A strong correlation was found between the significance of the environmental aspects and the number of adopted indicators. Gaps were observed in describing aspects like “biodiversity” and “local issues”. Improvement objectives and budget allocation showed discrepancies and lacked correlation with the significance of the related environmental aspects. “Energy production” accounted for 68% of the total allocated budget; “environmental risks”, “emissions to air”, “electricity consumption”, and “local issues” were also key focus areas. Insufficient information on emission control technologies and progress tracking of improvement objectives was detected. This study highlights the need for thermal power installations to improve the selection of appropriate indicators and to better relate allocated budget to improvement objectives when implementing EMAS. Such measures would facilitate the quantification of the effective environmental impacts of the energy production sector, supporting future research on this topic, allowing stakeholders a better comparison among plants, and driving industry-wide improvements.

This study investigates how the environmental performances of biodegradable waste (e.g., organic fraction of municipal solid waste, green waste, agro-industrial waste) treatment plants are reported and how their improvement is planned by the managing companies, and assesses current key quantitative data versus the Best Available Techniques associated emission levels (BAT-AELs). Based on their Environmental Statements (ESs), 16 installations registered to EMAS in Italy in 2021 were analyzed. A set of 15 technical-environmental-social key aspects was described through 131 different indicators. Emissions to air, odor emissions, energy consumption/production, waste production and water consumption were the only key aspects considered significant and quantified by at least 50% of the ESs. Improvement targets were set by 38% of the companies for process management, and by 25% for emissions to air, for a total allocated budget of 25.2 M€. Odor emissions were mostly below the lower BAT-AELs, while NH₃ concentration values were slightly above the lower BAT-AELs, demonstrating good performance levels and an overall improvement trend in the period 2018–2020 (−6% and −33.6%, respectively). This study provides interesting hints on the environmental performances of biodegradable waste treatment plants, also contributing to raise the trust of the wide public towards this waste treatment sector.