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Plastic Pollution. The Role of (Bio)Degradable Plastics and Other Solutions
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This review examines the scope of plastic pollution including micro and nanoplastics (MNPs), their environmental and health impacts, and potential mitigation strategies including biodegradable plastics and design-for-end-of-life approaches. The authors evaluate the conditions under which biodegradable plastics can and cannot serve as viable solutions to plastic pollution.
In this chapter we will look at the problem of plastic pollution (macroplastics and micro- and nanoplastics or MNPs), the impact of MNPs and the possible solutions that we could implement to mitigate this ever-growing problem. We will also address the role that biodegradable plastics can play in the larger picture of strategies that can be developed and implemented to push back on plastic pollution. Although biodegradable plastics will often not be a viable solution for the plastics pollution problem, plastics of the future should also have design features that address end-of-life such as closed-loop recyclability, and fate-in-nature: even slow biodegradation will avoid accumulation over decades or even centuries as is the case for current materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyolefins. Although readily biodegradable plastic is not desired for most plastics applications, the fact that materials biodegrade, even when slow, is very important.
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Microplastic and Nanoplastic: Causation, Issues and Solutions
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This review covered the causes, environmental issues, and potential solutions associated with microplastic and nanoplastic pollution, tracing plastic degradation pathways and reviewing biological and technological remediation options. It highlighted the need for integrated prevention, remediation, and regulatory strategies to address the growing MNP crisis.
A Path to a Reduction in Micro and Nanoplastics Pollution
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This review outlines strategies for reducing micro and nanoplastic pollution, covering prevention, cleanup, and policy approaches. The authors discuss biodegradable alternatives, improved waste management, advanced filtration, and regulatory frameworks that could help address the problem. The paper emphasizes that tackling microplastic pollution requires action across manufacturing, disposal, and environmental remediation.
Solution or Pollution? A paradigm shifts in understanding the fate and threats of biodegradable plastics in the marine environment
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This review challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are inherently eco-friendly by examining their degradation behavior in marine environments. Researchers found that biodegradable plastics often require specific conditions to break down and can themselves become sources of microplastic pollution when those conditions are not met. The study highlights a significant research gap in understanding the fate of biodegradable nano- and pico-plastics in marine ecosystems.
Micro- and Nano-Plastics Contaminants in the Environment: Sources, Fate, Toxicity, Detection, Remediation, and Sustainable Perspectives
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This review provides a broad overview of micro- and nanoplastic pollution, covering where these particles come from, how they spread through the environment, and the damage they cause to living things including humans. The authors also compare different methods for removing microplastics from the environment, including physical, chemical, and biological approaches. The paper calls for more research and global cooperation to develop better tools for measuring the health risks of plastic pollution.
Plastic Pollution and Its Alternatives
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This presentation reviewed the scale of plastic pollution, focusing on how plastics accumulate in oceans as non-biodegradable microplastics and nanoplastics that contaminate ecosystems and food chains. The authors outlined alternative materials and policy interventions as pathways to reduce plastic's environmental footprint.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.