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Microplastic Pollution: Advancements in Mitigation, Policy Challenges, and Future Directions
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This review provides an integrated assessment of biological, technological, and policy interventions for mitigating microplastic pollution. Researchers found that filtration is the most deployment-ready option but struggles with the smallest particles, while advanced oxidation and biological approaches each have significant scalability limitations. The study calls for coordinated interdisciplinary action to develop comprehensive strategies for addressing this widespread environmental challenge.
Microplastic (MPs) pollution has emerged as a significant environmental concern globally, posing threats to ecosystems, human health, and biodiversity. Prior reviews treat biological, engineering, and policy interventions in silos and largely catalog findings without a comparative, decision-oriented synthesis that maps efficacy, limits, scalability, and readiness to concrete deployment contexts. Therefore, this review work provides an integrated, decision-oriented synthesis that jointly evaluates biological, technological, and policy interventions for mitigation. The study finds that filtration is the most deployment-ready option but suffers from fouling and limited capture of the smallest particles, advanced oxidation can work yet is energy- and cost-intensive, while biological/enzymatic routes are promising but slow and scale is limited. Engineered strains can outperform wild types but introduce biosafety and regulatory risks. Looking forward, it emphasizes the necessity for interdisciplinary research and novel technological solutions to address the persistent challenges of MP pollution. The paper concludes with a call for urgent, coordinated action across sectors to develop and implement comprehensive strategies for mitigating this widespread environmental issue.
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Challenges and opportunities in sustainable management of microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment
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This review examines the challenges and emerging strategies for sustainably managing micro- and nanoplastic pollution in the environment. Researchers assessed various approaches including advanced filtration, biodegradation, chemical recycling, and policy interventions aimed at reducing plastic waste. The study emphasizes that achieving meaningful progress will require combining technological solutions with stronger regulations and changes in how plastics are produced and consumed.
Assessing Recent Technologies for Addressing Microplastic Pollution and Pushing the Case of Bioremediation as an Attractive Approach
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This review assesses current technologies for addressing microplastic pollution, with a focus on bioremediation as a sustainable alternative. Researchers compared physical, chemical, and biological approaches and found that microbial degradation offers distinct advantages in terms of environmental compatibility and cost-effectiveness. The study advocates for increased investment in bioremediation research as a practical strategy for managing microplastic contamination at scale.
Critical review of microplastics removal from the environment
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This review evaluates technologies for removing microplastics from the environment, including physical methods like filtration, chemical treatments, and biological approaches using microorganisms. Each method has trade-offs between effectiveness, cost, and scalability, and no single technology can solve the problem alone. The authors emphasize that reducing human exposure to microplastics requires combining better removal technologies with policies that limit plastic production and waste at the source.
Current Advances in Strategies to Mitigate the Impacts of Micro/Nano Plastics: A Review
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This review summarizes current strategies for mitigating the environmental and health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics, covering physical, chemical, and biological approaches to removal and degradation. It highlights that no single solution is adequate and that a combination of prevention, better waste management, and remediation technologies will be needed.
Tackling microplastics pollution in global environment through integration of applied technology, policy instruments, and legislation
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This review examines the global microplastics pollution problem and evaluates solutions combining technology, policy, and legislation. Current water treatment technologies like membrane bioreactors can remove microplastics, but no single approach is sufficient. The authors call for coordinated international action combining better detection methods, cleanup technologies, and stronger regulations to address plastic pollution in both water and land environments.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.