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Microplastics
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This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic pollution across global ecosystems, covering their sources from industrial, domestic, and agricultural activities. Researchers examined the challenges of removing microplastics from water and soil, noting that conventional treatment methods cannot fully eliminate these persistent particles. The study emphasizes that microplastics represent a pervasive environmental and potential health concern that requires coordinated global action.
Microplastics have spread worldwide, contaminating the ecology as they do so. They are tiny particles measuring less than 5 mm and have emerged as a pervasive and alarming environmental issue. Their widespread presence in various ecosystems, from oceans to freshwater bodies, and even the atmosphere, has raised concerns about their potential adverse effects on both the environment and human health. Industrial, domestic, agricultural, and livestock effluents contain microplastics that cannot be eliminated by sewage treatment plants. These wastewaters also contain micropellets from cosmetic products, especially facial scrubs and textile fibers; the latter result from the shedding of particles while washing textiles. Municipal wastewater treatment facilities remove large plastics from wastewater; however, after multiple water treatment steps, some microplastic or nanoplastic particles are still present and are released into the effluent. In this chapter, the authors have focused on the sources, distribution, and effects of microplastics on the environment and the goals and initiatives set up by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 14).
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This comprehensive review covers the full scope of microplastic pollution, from where microplastics come from and how they form, to how scientists detect and measure them. Researchers summarized the environmental and health impacts of microplastic contamination across ecosystems including water, soil, and air. The study also evaluates current cleanup and remediation strategies, highlighting the need for coordinated global efforts to address this widespread form of pollution.
Microplastics in the Ecosystem: An Overview on Detection, Removal, Toxicity Assessment, and Control Release
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This review provides a broad overview of microplastic pollution, covering how these tiny plastic particles are generated, detected, and removed from the environment. Researchers examined various detection methods and removal technologies while also assessing the toxic effects of microplastics on living organisms. The study emphasizes the need for better monitoring systems and more effective strategies to manage this growing environmental and health concern.
Microplastics in the environment: Occurrence, perils, and eradication
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This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic pollution in various environmental compartments including water, soil, and air. Researchers summarize the sources, transport mechanisms, and potential harmful effects of microplastics on ecosystems and human health. The study also evaluates current eradication and remediation strategies, noting that while several promising approaches exist, no single method can fully address the scale of global microplastic contamination.
Microplastics in aquatic systems, a comprehensive review: origination, accumulation, impact, and removal technologies
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This comprehensive review traced the sources of microplastics in aquatic environments, from industrial products and packaging to cosmetics and agricultural materials, and examined their toxic effects on living organisms. Researchers found that microplastics are remarkably stable and widespread, posing growing ecotoxicological risks to aquatic ecosystems. The study also evaluated current removal technologies, noting their advantages and limitations, and warns that without better strategies, microplastic pollution will become significantly worse in coming decades.
Micro- and Nano-Plastics Contaminants in the Environment: Sources, Fate, Toxicity, Detection, Remediation, and Sustainable Perspectives
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This review provides a broad overview of micro- and nanoplastic pollution, covering where these particles come from, how they spread through the environment, and the damage they cause to living things including humans. The authors also compare different methods for removing microplastics from the environment, including physical, chemical, and biological approaches. The paper calls for more research and global cooperation to develop better tools for measuring the health risks of plastic pollution.
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