Adsorptive Techniques for the Remediation of Microplastics

Microplastics (MPs) are considered a serious hazardous environmental pollutant due to their distinct, long-lasting physicochemical properties, chemical stability, and lack of biodegradability. Tyres, road markings, marine coatings, personal care products, synthetic textiles, and engineered plastic pellets are major contributors to MP pollution. According to WHO, long-term exposure to MPs induces a range of toxic effects in human beings, including impaired immune response, stress, neurotoxicity, reproductive metabolic disorder, developmental toxicity, etc. Given these, various techniques such as filtration, coagulation, biodegradation, adsorption, etc., have been developed to eliminate MPs. Amongst them all, adsorption techniques are highly preferred owing to high efficiency, low maintenance, and cost-effectiveness. Several adsorbents have been recorded as key tools for the removal of MPs from environments, such as activated carbon, biodegradable polymers (chitosan and cellulose), magnetic nanoparticles, bio-based materials such as algae, fungi, and gravel, and zeolites-based adsorbents. The present chapter provides a recent update on various adsorptive materials and their techniques in tackling MP contamination, emphasizing their advantages and disadvantages.