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A novel circular approach to analyze the challenges associated with micro-nano plastics and their sustainable remediation techniques.
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This review examines the environmental concerns raised by micro- and nanoplastics, including the surge in plastic waste generated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and evaluates sustainable remediation strategies. The authors propose a circular approach that considers the full lifecycle of plastics and integrates multiple treatment technologies to address the problem at scale.
The mismanagement of consumer-discarded plastic waste (CDPW) has raised global environmental concerns about climate change. The COVID-19 outbreak has generated ∼1.6 million tons of plastic waste per day in the form of personal protective equipment (masks, gloves, face shields, and sanitizer bottles). These plastic wastes are either combustible or openly dumped in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Open dumping upsurges emerging contaminants like micro-nano plastics (MNPs) that directly enter the ecosystem and cause severe impacts on flora and fauna. Therefore, it has become an utmost priority to determine sustainable technologies that can degrade or treat MNPs from the environment. The present review assesses the sources and impacts of MNPs, various challenges, and issues associated with their remediation techniques. Accordingly, a novel sustainable circular model is recommended to increase the degradation efficiency of MNPs using biochemical and biological methods. It is also concluded that the proposed model does not only overcome environmental issues but also provides a sustainable secondary resource to meet the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
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This mini-review discusses how COVID-19 increased micro- and nanoplastic pollution globally through expanded use of plastic in personal protective equipment and medical supplies. It also reviews current approaches to degrade these plastics, noting that biological and chemical methods show promise but face major scale-up challenges.
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