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Floating filters of nature: exploring the potential of aquatic plants in phytoremediation of microplastic-polluted water
Summary
This research assessed plastic pollution threats to coral reef ecosystems, documenting the types and densities of plastic debris in reef environments and their potential biological impacts. The findings underscore the compounding pressures facing coral reefs from both climate change and plastic contamination.
In recent years, a substantial upsurge in the environmental contamination caused by microplastics (MPs) has raised global concern. They are non-biodegradable compounds that can stay in water bodies for a long time and are a major cause of pollution in aquatic ecosystems. MPs can act as carriers by transferring and adsorbing hydrophilic substances and can be mistakenly ingested by fish as food source which can have a potential impact on human health and ecological systems. MPs can enter aquatic systems from a variety of anthropogenic sources. The review paper has addressed the distribution, source, transport, and type of MP that impacts aquatic river systems and upcoming solutions to combat microplastic pollution. Stagnant water bodies have a high concentration of accumulated floating MPs. The studies on MP distribution and transport are well documented by current research but sustainable remediation techniques are urgently required. Phytoremediation uses the aquatic plant’s natural morphology and physiological characteristics to capture MP particles, in contrast to conventional mechanical filtration. Our review paper therefore addresses how aquatic plants can naturally offer a great opportunity to remove MPs by adsorption to their plant parts. Our analysis suggests that adsorption of particles onto plant surfaces and physical entrapment within dense root structures are the main mechanisms driving MP removal. Aquatic plants’ inherent adherence qualities offer a scalable and economical method for the in situ phytoremediation of microplastic pollution. Such mechanisms offer a sustainable way of ecosystem management to remove and mitigate MP pollution from aquatic ecosystems.