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Sustainable Treatment of Microplastic and Nanoplastic Waste
Summary
This research review summarizes different ways scientists are trying to remove tiny plastic particles (microplastics and nanoplastics) from our air, water, and soil using physical filters, chemical treatments, and helpful bacteria. While these cleanup methods show promise, they still have limitations and need improvement before they can work effectively on a large scale. Developing better ways to remove these plastic particles is important because they can harm both our environment and human health when they build up in the places where we live.
This chapter reports a systematic review of treatments to selectively deplete microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) pollution of environmental media (air, water, and soil). Its most important characteristic is the emphasis on physical/chemical/biological remediation strategies, which include a critical evaluation of its efficiency and performance limitations. Physical separation methods, for example, membrane technology, electrostatic precipitation, and magnetic separation, are discussed, as they are able to adsorb MPs and NPs on the basis of size, charge, and other properties. Challenges, such as membrane fouling and limited removal of nanoplastics, are presented, together with methods for performance optimization. Chemical techniques, that is, adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, and coagulation-flocculation, and treatment techniques for MPs and NPs are explored in order to achieve degrading MPs and NPs into less toxic entities. In the chapter, the creation of novel materials, including biochar, functionalized nanomaterials, and photocatalysts, are also reported, in addition to the improvement of treatment performance and environmental safety. A review of biological methods of microbial degradation, enzymatic hydrolysis, and bioremediation is made based on their potential for full-scale implementation and their feasibility, although current efficiency and scalability limitations require to be overcome. While briefly considering the genesis, spread, and ecological hazards of MPs and NPs, the chapter focuses on the treatment technologies under analysis. It shows aspirational trends, like the integration of a hybrid treatment system of scaling approaches and environmentally benign, marketable, and affordable solutions that are able to effectively counteract the environmental spread of microplastic and nanoplastic pollution. The chapter emphasizes the necessity to advance these strategies to protect ecosystems and human health.