We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastics: Classification, Sources, Characterisation, Fate, and Control Measures
Summary
This review examines the classification, sources, characterisation, fate, and control measures for microplastics, synthesising recent literature on their detection in marine water, freshwater, wastewater, food, air, and drinking water, and identifying terrestrial runoff and wastewater effluent as key pollution pathways.
Plastic use has now permeated all aspects of life and new applications are developed every year, and the substitution of other materials with plastic is still expanding in many sectors. They are currently used in single-use packaging, consumer goods, construction materials, automotive, electrical and agriculture applications. Several decades of plastic release into the environment have brought about a wide range of associated problems. Microplastics encompass a wide range of materials composed of different substances, with different densities, chemical compositions, shapes and sizes. They are ubiquitous in the environment and have been detected in a broad range of concentrations in marine water, wastewater, fresh water, food, air and drinking water, both bottled and tap water. Key sources of microplastic pollution are terrestrial run-off and wastewater effluent. Present paper deals with recent approaches on ‘microplastics’ with respect to: definition, common examples, classification, sources by usage sectors, key sources, characterisation, methods for analysis, fate in the aquatic environment, control measures, and research gaps is critically evaluated.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics in aquatic environment: Challenges and perspectives
This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic pollution in water environments, covering sources, transport, health effects, detection methods, and control strategies. Microplastics enter waterways from everyday plastic products, industrial discharge, and wastewater treatment plants, where aquatic organisms ingest them and pass them up the food chain. The review highlights the urgent need for better analytical techniques and global policies to reduce microplastic contamination that ultimately reaches human food and drinking water.
Microplastic Pollution: Fate, Sources, Transport and Identification
This review summarizes the sources, fate, transport, and identification methods for microplastics in aquatic and terrestrial environments, highlighting their global distribution across all ecosystems and the growing concern for their impacts on marine life, other organisms, and human health.
Exploring microplastic pollution from origin to environmental impact and remediation approaches
This review provides a comprehensive assessment of microplastic pollution, covering their sources from synthetic textiles, cosmetics, and packaging to their fate in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The study critically examines detection techniques, structural and chemical classification methods, and the health risks microplastics pose to organisms including humans.
Freshwater Pollution by Microplastics: Sources, Consequences and Mitigation Strategies (literature Review)
This review covers freshwater microplastic pollution, examining sources including agricultural runoff, wastewater effluent, and atmospheric deposition, along with ecological consequences and available mitigation strategies. The authors emphasize that effective freshwater microplastic management requires integrated approaches spanning wastewater treatment improvement, source reduction, and improved plastic waste management.
Microplastic Pollution in the Environment
This review examines microplastic pollution across environmental compartments — treated and surface water, groundwater, drinking water, and wastewater treatment plants — synthesizing data on sources, concentrations, and fates of these persistent emerging contaminants.