Crustacean nanochitosan-based bioremediation of nanoplastic-polluted aquatic habitat: A review pursuant to SDG 6

Microplastic and nanoplastic pollution is a growing environmental concern with potentially adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. The development of effective and sustainable methods for the removal of micro-/nanoplastics from water sources is of paramount importance. Crustacean nanochitosan, derived from chitosan, a biopolymer obtained from crustacean shells, has emerged as a promising solution for micro-/nanoplastic removal. This scientific abstract presents an overview of the application of crustacean nanochitosan for micro-/nanoplastic removal, highlighting its unique properties, adsorption mechanism, and potential advantages over other methods. Though the unique properties of crustacean nanochitosan that enable it to adsorb, bind, immobilize and effectively reduce contamination have been demonstrated, complex scalability, regeneration and cost effectiveness issues still hinder the adaptation of this technology in pursuit of SDG 6. The report thus addressed key factors necessary for the optimization of the purification mechanisms of nanochitosan. The integration of crustacean nanochitosan into water treatment systems thus offers a promising approach for mitigating micro-/nanoplastic pollution, hence the paper explored new research paths, highlighting nanochitosan modification, optimization of process parameters such as pH, contact time, dosage, and agitation speed for enhanced adsorption efficiency for healthier ecosystems; towards the attainment of sustainable development goal 6 aimed at achieving clean water and sanitation. Regeneration, reusability, scale-up and the scalability of the suggested technology were assessed and the cost-effectiveness, system integration, and long-term performance under varying water conditions were reported. The paper evaluated the effectiveness of the suggested techniques, and assessed the possible environmental impacts and implications for policies.