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How to protect water sources from microplastic contamination?
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This research review summarizes studies showing that tiny plastic particles called microplastics are getting into our water sources from clothing, cars, cosmetics, and household wastewater. These plastic bits can carry harmful chemicals and germs that build up in fish and other sea life, which then affects humans when we eat seafood or drink contaminated water. The authors say we need global action to reduce plastic pollution to protect both the environment and human health.
Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as one of the most widespread and persistent pollutants of the 21st century, posing profound challenges to aquatic ecosystems, biodiversity and human health. Derived from both primary and secondary origins, MPs are leaching into aquatic systems through synthetic textiles, vehicle components, personal care products and domestic wastewater discharge. Once in aquatic environments, they exhibit high chemical stability and adsorptive capacity, acting as vectors for persistent organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals and pathogenic microorganisms. The resulting bioaccumulation and biomagnification across trophic levels causes cellular oxidative stress, immunotoxicity, endocrine disruption and reproductive impairment in aquatic organisms, thus extending ecological risk to humans through trophic transfer. This compilation of recent studies concludes that the MP crisis is not only an environmental problem but also a systemic reflection of unsustainable production and consumption patterns. Addressing this challenge requires global cooperation, integrating scientific expertise with socio-political action and redefining economic growth within the limits of planetary health. This review examines the multidimensional nature of MP pollution, its sources, pathways and impacts on environmental integrity, while proposing strategic frameworks for the protection of global water resources.
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Microplastics in aquatic environment: Challenges and perspectives
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This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic pollution in water environments, covering sources, transport, health effects, detection methods, and control strategies. Microplastics enter waterways from everyday plastic products, industrial discharge, and wastewater treatment plants, where aquatic organisms ingest them and pass them up the food chain. The review highlights the urgent need for better analytical techniques and global policies to reduce microplastic contamination that ultimately reaches human food and drinking water.
Microplastics influencing aquatic environment and human health: A review of source, determination, distribution, removal, degradation, management strategy and future perspective
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This review paper provides a broad summary of microplastic pollution in water environments, covering where they come from, how to detect them, how they spread, and how to remove them. The authors emphasize that microplastics persist for extremely long periods in water and can harm both aquatic life and human health, calling for better management strategies worldwide.
A Review of the Current Literature on Sources and Mitigation Strategies of Microplastics in Drinking Water
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Researchers reviewed the key sources of microplastic contamination in drinking water — including plastic waste, synthetic clothing, and microbeads in personal care products — and assessed strategies for reducing exposure through improved treatment technologies and stricter regulations on plastic production. The review emphasizes that effective policy, combined with public awareness about single-use plastics, is essential for protecting drinking water quality.
Sources, Impacts and Remediation strategies for microplastics in the Aquatic Environment - A Review
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This review summarizes existing research on tiny plastic particles called microplastics in water environments, covering how they enter oceans and rivers, their effects on aquatic animals like fish and shellfish, and possible human health concerns from eating seafood. It also discusses methods for removing microplastics and highlights the need for better monitoring and policies.
Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Critical Review of Sources, Transport Mechanisms and Ecotoxicological Risks
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This review provides a broad overview of microplastic pollution in rivers, oceans, and other aquatic environments, covering where these particles come from, how they move through water systems, and the harm they can cause. Evidence indicates that microplastics accumulate toxins and disrupt growth, feeding, and reproduction in aquatic species, with potential consequences for human health through seafood and drinking water. The authors stress the need for better global monitoring, stronger waste management systems, and development of eco-friendly plastic alternatives.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.