Challenges of Microplastic Characterization and Mitigation

Microplastics are ubiquitous in the aquatic environments and pose a threat to marine life, ecosystems, and human health. Characterizing and mitigating microplastics present multifaceted challenges, especially for the detection and quantification in aquatic systems. This chapter explores analytical techniques developed and currently used to determine the presence of microplastics and future directions in the field. Characterization and identification of size, shape, color, and polymer composition of microplastics using the traditional techniques including microscopy, spectroscopy, and chromatography are commonly used. However, classical analytical methods have limitations in detecting smaller size microplastic particles and distinguishing between polymer and natural particles. Recently, application of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms (especially, machine learning) and automation are effectively used in analytical techniques to enhance efficiency and accuracy of identification and characterization of microplastics. Overall, the integration of AI and analytical techniques will be useful to address the challenges of microplastic characterization and inform evidence-based strategies for mitigation and conservation efforts.