Driver, Trends and Fate of Plastics and Micro Plastics Occurrence in the Environment

Plastics and microplastics (MPs) have become one of the world’s significant environmental issues in this decade; this condition occurs because of the massive usage of plastic-based products. Plastics are polymer compounds that are made from naphtha. Naphtha is a product of distilled crude oil to form a simpler molecule structure, like ethylene and propylene. Over half of all plastic is used for single-use disposable products, mostly packaging. The drivers can be divided into two types, namely intrinsic property, and external influences. Plastic and MPs have become one of the world’s biggest environmental issues in this decade. This condition occurs because of the massive usage of plastic-based products being widely distributed, and this polymer is persistent in the environment. The abundance of MPs in freshwater systems originates from various types of sources, such as effluent from waste water treatment plants, direct disposal of plastic into water bodies, storm water runoff, plastic leakage from solid waste management, and atmospheric deposition.