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Nano- and Microplastics in Water
Summary
This review paper provides an overview of nano- and microplastics in water, covering how they form, where they are found, and why they are a concern. It summarizes current knowledge on plastic particle pollution in aquatic environments and the potential risks to ecosystems and human health.
The present geological age is known as the ‘Anthropocene’, a period in which the influence of man on the environment cannot be ignored. One of the inventions of this era is plastics. In the 20th century, plastics were developed, these materials appeared to have very interesting and useful properties like low weight, high strength, versatility and durability. This, in combination with their low production costs, led to an enormous increase in production since the 1950s. They are used in every aspect of our lives (Wang et al. 2021), for packaging, constructions, toys, personal care products, electronic devices, etc. (Kirstein et al. 2021). In 2017, global plastics production reached 348 million tons (Plastics Europe 2019). According to Wang et al. (2021), in 2018 already 359 million tons of plastics were produced, showing a rapid increase. It is predicted that by 2050 this will increase to 33 billion tons (Xu et al. 2020).