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Nanotechnology-enabled analytical tools for Microplastics and nanoplastics in aquatic ecosystems
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Tiny plastic particles in our water, some smaller than a virus, have been hard to detect with older lab tools, making it tough to know how much is really out there or how it might affect us. This review rounds up new nanotech-based detection methods (using gold nanoparticles, light-scattering sensors, and AI) that can spot these nanoplastics at incredibly low levels, faster and with less environmental impact than traditional testing. Better detection tools like these are a key first step toward understanding plastic pollution's health risks and building policies to protect our water supplies.
Microplastics (1 µm–5 mm) and nanoplastics (<1 µm) threaten aquatic ecosystems, necessitating advanced detection beyond conventional methods like FTIR and GC-MS, which lack nanoscale sensitivity and require labour-intensive sample preparation. This review, with >70% focus on particles <1 µm, synthesises indicative concentration ranges derived from 2024–2025 field studies from the Pacific, Arctic, Great Lakes, Mediterranean, Asian rivers, and African lakes, while acknowledging methodological heterogeneity across diverse matrices. It evaluates nanotechnology-enabled tools including surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and electrochemical nanosensors-for detecting nanoplastics at indicative trace levels (e.g. 5–15 ng/L in recent seawater and wastewater studies). Green nanomaterial synthesis (e.g. plant-derived AuNPs, 15–30 nm) reduces environmental impact by approximately 80% while enabling high-performance substrates. Innovations like AuNP-functionalised graphene SERS substrates, microfluidic sample preconcentration, and Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOF)-based sensors address matrix interferences, sample loss during digestion, and chemical diversity of polymers like polystyrene and PET. These tools enable real-time monitoring across marine, freshwater, and wastewater systems, surpassing traditional approaches in sensitivity and portability. This work introduces the AI-Green Nanotechnology Hybrid (AGNH) Framework a modular system integrating green nanomaterials, edge-AI spectral deconvolution, and hybrid SERS-electrochemical sensors for autonomous, sustainable detection. Unlike prior reviews, it integrates sample preparation optimisation, AI-driven analysis, and green synthesis, supporting ecological risk assessments and policies aligned with UN SDG 14 and the EU Water Framework Directive. Challenges include digestion-induced nanoplastic loss, electrode fouling, and standardisation. Emerging technologies like quantum dot sensors and AGNH-enabled global networks promise innovation, while interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for effective plastic pollution management.
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Methodology of Assessing Microplastics and Nanoplastics in the Environment: Recent Advances in the Practical Approaches
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Researchers reviewed recent advances in practical analytical methodologies for detecting and characterizing microplastics and nanoplastics across environmental matrices including water, soil, and food. Reliable, standardized detection methods are foundational to understanding the true scale of human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics and to evaluating whether remediation and regulatory efforts are having measurable impact.
Advancements in microplastics detection techniques and their multidimensional impacts on aquatic ecosystems and human health
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Tiny plastic bits called microplastics are showing up in our water, and this review rounds up the latest tools scientists use to find them, from lab tests to new sensors that can spot them in real time. It also breaks down what we know so far about how microplastics build up in fish and other animals we eat, sometimes teaming up with toxic metals to cause even more harm, and stresses that better, more consistent detection methods are needed to protect drinking water and public health going forward.
Microplastics in aquatic environment: fate, human exposure, removal and advances of nanotechnology in remediation
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This review traces microplastic pathways from aquatic sources — including seafood, drinking water, and sea salt — through the human food chain, estimating up to 26,250 microplastic particles ingested per person annually from seafood alone, while also cataloging the toxic additives and co-transported heavy metals these particles carry. It evaluates physical, chemical, and biological removal methods before identifying nanotechnology-based approaches as the most promising next generation of water treatment for microplastic elimination.
The threats of micro- and nanoplastics to aquatic ecosystems and water health
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This review details how micro- and nanoplastics in global water sources indirectly threaten water quality by disrupting carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur biogeochemical cycles, transporting pathogens, and amplifying the persistence and bioavailability of co-occurring contaminants. The analysis calls for advanced water treatment technologies, early warning systems, and integrated regulatory frameworks to protect water security from the cascading effects of microplastic pollution.
A New Approach for Detecting and Quantifying Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Water Using Fluorescence Labeling and Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis
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Researchers paired the fluorescent dye Cy5 with nanoparticle tracking analysis to detect and size micro- and nanoplastics in water, tracking Brownian motion trajectories to calculate hydrodynamic parameters with higher selectivity and sensitivity than conventional microscopy or spectroscopy methods.
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