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Microplastics pollution in Australia: Sources, impacts, and mitigation strategies

Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 2024 14 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Rumana Hossain, Anirban Ghose, Veena Sahajwalla

Summary

This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic pollution across Australia, covering contamination in sediments, indoor air, road dust, fresh water, marine water, and living organisms. Microplastics were found in all environments studied, with sources ranging from tire wear and synthetic clothing to industrial discharge. The review provides data to support Australian policy decisions on reducing microplastic exposure to both ecosystems and human health.

This study conducts a detailed review of the existing Australian research about microplastics in sediments, indoor air, road dust, fresh water, marine water, and living organisms. A summary of characteristics such as polymer type, size, shape, and abundance of microplastics in samples is also presented. Different sources, fates, and entry routes of microplastics into the terrestrial and aquatic environments are also described. The effect of microplastics on humans, organisms, and ecosystem is summarised and presented. This work provides important data to Australian government and policy makers for the development of urgent strategies and policies to reduce microplastics pollution.

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