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Technologies for Removal and Remediation of Microplastics
Summary
This book chapter reviews physical, chemical, biological, and hybrid technologies for removing microplastics from water, air, soil, and food environments. It systematically covers removal mechanisms and performance data for each technology type and discusses current limitations and future research directions.
Due to the escalating demand for plastic commodities, the generation of plastic wastes has been parallelly increased. As a result, the plastic fragments with sizes <5 mm, also known as microplastics (MPs), have been found to prowl amidst various environmental matrices, including surface water, groundwater, tap water, soil, sediments, and air, as well as different food items, such as seafood, sea salt, packaged beverages, etc., which, due to the trophic transfer through the food chain, eventually reach human beings. The long-term exposure of human beings to MPs engenders numerous toxic effects due to the enhanced stability of MPs, necessitating the need for the removal/remediation of MPs from the environment. In the present chapter, the available physical, chemical, biological, and hybrid MP remediation technologies, including the governing MP removal mechanisms and application in removing MPs from different environmental matrices, have been thoroughly discussed. Additionally, the advantages and limitations associated with each MP removal technology have been briefly appended.