Microplastics: Environmental Impacts, Detection Techniques and Mitigation Strategies

Since the development of the first synthetic plastic with the potential for mass production in 1907, plastic has gone from a wonder solution in the packaging, building and construction, electrical and electronics, consumer products, and transportation industries to an environmental and sustainability hazard. Over the past decade, global concern over the impact of plastic pollution has extended to microplastics. Though small in size (1mm-5mm), microplastics are causing extensive damage to the natural environment. They have been isolated as contaminants in soil, tap water, oceans and their ecosystems, plants, animals, and human beings. As microplastics continue to accumulate in different ecosystems, research and studies on their impact on the environment, ways of detecting them, and strategies to prevent their accumulation in the environment are on the rise in efforts to understand their biological and ecological implications. This paper reviews existing knowledge on the environmental impacts of microplastics, their detection techniques, and mitigation strategies. The occurrence of microplastics in marine environments, on land, and in plant, animal, and human cells will be elucidated. Different analytical methods used for the sampling and characterization of microplastics in the environment will be highlighted and current and potential methods for the mitigation of the threat the element poses to the environment discussed. The synthesis of existing knowledge will be used to derive recommendations for future studies to fill knowledge gaps on microplastics