Mathematical modelling and simulations for microplastic environmental research: a systematic review

The Anthropocene has been characterised as an era in which man, with his anthropocentric thinking and attitudes, has the maximum influence on the environment. The presence of plastics in the environment is a problem that challenges all actors involved. This theme provokes important reflections on the role of sustainable development for a common future, in the constant search for coexistence between the interests of men who hold political and economic power and the limitations of the planet's carrying capacity. Even with advances in the field in recent decades, new questions have been proposed to better understand the issues and complexities of microplastics. Mathematical model simulations of microplastic particles (MPs) provide valuable strategies to better understand and predict the probable environmental effects of transport, settlement of and adsorption of pollutants, microorganisms, and antibiotic-resistance. In this review, 75 studies published between 2012 and 2022 were evaluated. Most of the studies focused on hydrodynamic modelling (42.6%), followed by simulations of pollutant adsorption kinetics by microplastics (26.7%). A third group of studies (30.7%) included simulations that employed approaches other than the first two, including regression, deep learning, and mass balance. Based on our review, we suggest that simulations that can unify the studies on the transport of MPs with those on the adsorption capacity for pollutants from these particles should be encouraged in the future.