Introduction and Book Overview

The presence of microplastics (MPs) in water and wastewater is an alarming concern globally owing to their recalcitrant nature. Conventionally used wastewater treatment plants are one of the major contributors to the release of MPs into the environment. While treating the wastewater, MPs endure incomplete retention, leading to their discharge into the environment. Similarly, MPs coming from various sources remain in the soil or enter the surface waterbodies, infiltrate into ground and surface water, and also flow into the marine waterbodies. Moreover, MPs can interact with biotic or abiotic components, which leads to their settling, biofouling, degradation, entry into the food chain, and exposure to various life forms. Exposure to MPs can also pose potential risks to human health, such as difficulty in respiration and digestion, disruption in sleep, increased risk of diabetes, etc. To overcome this issue, the complete eradication of MPs is the need of the hour, which can be achieved by initiating policies and regulations to reduce the formation of MPs as well as developing innovative technologies that can efficiently detect and degrade these contaminants. In this context, the articulated chapter will elucidate the background and impacts of the MPs, followed by solutions and policies to regulate these contaminants of concern.