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Microplastics in the urban water cycle: A critical analysis of issues and of possible (needed?) solutions
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This critical review examines microplastic contamination in urban water cycles, questioning whether the scientific evidence justifies the alarmist framing common in published studies while acknowledging that microplastic pollution is globally pervasive even in remote regions. The authors call for more rigorous causal evidence and standardized methods before drawing definitive conclusions about the health and environmental hazards of urban water-cycle microplastics.
Microplastic (MP) contamination is a problem that affects even remote, scarcely populated regions of the world. This topic has recently been the subject of many published studies, however, these often adopt hyperbolic statements and do not actually provide definitive evidence that MPs are a cause of environmental risk in actual environmental conditions. New technologies to remove MPs from supply and waste water are being investigated, but they are able to intercept a minimal fraction of the MPs circulating in all environmental media. Recently, several pieces of legislation were introduced to reduce plastic production, use, and disposal, but it is not clear how such measures could achieve a significant environmental MP reduction. This paper addresses the MP issue within the urban water cycle, examining recent current literature on MP presence in drinking and waste water, and overviewing available recent treatment technologies for their removal. The ensuing discussion attempts to holistically assess the actual relevance of the issue in the light of the current scientific evidence.
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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.