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Current Progress and Mechanisms of Microplastic Degradation in the Environment
Summary
This review pulls together current research on how tiny plastic bits called microplastics—which are now found in our food, water, air, and soil—can be broken down before they build up further in the environment. These plastic fragments can soak up heavy metals and other toxic chemicals, making them even more dangerous as they move through the food chain and potentially into our bodies. Understanding how to break them down more effectively could help scientists and policymakers develop better strategies to cut down on this pollution and reduce our exposure to it.
Plastics, which are beneficial to modern society, have become among the most hazardous pollutants due to excessive use and mismanagement, and their accumulation is causing enormous challenges to ecosystems worldwide. Globally, in 2025, more than 70 million tonnes of plastic waste will enter landfills and oceans, where it slowly degrades and is converted into more hazardous microplastics (MPs) or nanoplastics (NPs). MPs are widely present in the food chain, soil, water, and air and are difficult to degrade in the environment. As these particles can absorb heavy metals and other organic pollutants, they become more hazardous. This review critically examines the mechanisms of various degradation methods, such as chemical degradation, photodegradation, advanced oxidation process, and microbial/enzymatic degradation. These findings will support the formulation/implementation of effective policies and technologies to reduce microplastic contamination, a major environmental threat of the 21st century.