We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Panacea for the nanoplastic surge in Africa: A state-of-the-art review
Summary
This review examines the nanoplastic pollution crisis across Africa, where improper plastic waste management has led to widespread contamination of water, soil, sediments, air, and food from fragmented and biodegraded plastics. The review evaluates existing and emerging mitigation strategies and calls for region-specific policy and technological solutions to address the rapidly growing nanoplastic burden across the continent.
Africa is a large continent ranked amongst the top consumer of plastic materials. However, the improper handling of plastic wastes has resulted in massive pollution of different aspects of the environment (water, soil, sediments, air, food, etc.) within and around the region. The fragmentation and biodegradation of the bulk plastic material into small-sized particles has given rise to microplastic and nanoplastics. Owing to their small sizes, ease of transport, and large surface area, they tend to wreak serious havoc in the environment. Nevertheless, the growing awareness of the pollution problems caused by micro/nanoplastic debris is instrumental towards circumventing its widespread across the ecosystem. This review provides a state-of-the-art information on the prevailing nanoplastic surge across the borders of Africa, the ineffective management policies of plastic wastes, potential environmental hazards, and possible remediation strategies. Additionally, prospective insights into new areas for advanced research were highlighted.