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Removal of microplastics from the environment. A review
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Researchers reviewed existing and emerging strategies for removing microplastics from water and soil, finding that while several filtration and remediation methods show promise, no scalable solution yet exists to address the vast quantities of plastic particles already distributed throughout the environment.
The production of fossil fuel-derived, synthetic plastics is continually increasing, while poor plastic waste management has recently induced severe pollution issues. Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5 mm. Microplastics are ubiquitous and slowly-degrading contaminants in waters and soils. Microplastics have long residence time, high stability, high potential of being fragmented and can adsorb other contaminants. Many aquatic species contain microplastics, which are in particular easily accumulated by planktonic and invertebrate organisms. Then, microplastics are transferred along food chains, leading to physical damages, decrease in nutritional diet value and exposure of the living organism to pathogens. Raw plastics contain chemical additives such as phthalates, bisphenol A and polybrominated diphenyl ethers that may induce toxic effects after ingestion by living organisms. Furthermore, the adsorption capability of microplastics makes them prone to carry several contaminants. Methods to remove microplastics from water and other media are actually needed. Here, we review microplastics occurrence, transport, raw polymers and additives, toxicity and methods of removal. Removal methods include physical sorption and filtration, biological removal and ingestion, and chemical treatments. Mechanisms, efficiency, advantages, and drawbacks of various removal methods are discussed.
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Removal Strategies for Aquatic Microplastics
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Researchers reviewed current physical, chemical, and biological techniques for removing microplastics from aquatic environments, evaluating their efficiency, scalability, and practical limitations. Identifying the most effective removal strategies is essential for protecting both aquatic ecosystems and human health, since waterways are a primary route through which microplastics enter drinking water and the food chain.
Issues of Microplastics and Sustainable Removal Techniques
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Researchers reviewed the distribution of microplastics across environmental compartments and assessed sustainable removal techniques including filtration, bioremediation, and advanced oxidation processes. Because microplastics persist ubiquitously in air, water, soil, and food, no single removal method is sufficient — this review frames the scale of the challenge and the need for integrated, multi-stage mitigation strategies.
Techniques for Removal and Degradation of Microplastics
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"This chapter reviewed physical, chemical, and biological remediation techniques for removing and degrading microplastics—including coagulation, membrane filtration, adsorption, and biodegradation—comparing their efficiencies and limitations across different environmental matrices. Advancing cost-effective removal technologies is essential for protecting drinking water supplies and reducing the microplastic burden that reaches human consumers through contaminated water and food."
Impact of Microplastics on the Environment, Human Health and Their Removal
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Researchers examined how microplastics — plastic fragments smaller than 5 mm — enter the environment through decomposition of larger plastics and direct discharge of microbeads, and assessed available removal technologies alongside the associated risks to ecosystems and human health.
An Overview of Physical, Chemical and Biological Methods for Removal of Microplastics
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Physical, chemical, and biological methods each offer distinct tradeoffs for removing microplastics from water resources, with no single approach achieving complete removal across all particle sizes and polymer types. Advancing these treatment technologies is essential to protecting drinking water supplies and reducing the biological uptake of microplastics in humans and wildlife.
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