Grasping the supremacy of microplastic in the environment to understand its implications and eradication: a review

Over the last century, accumulation of microplastic has emerged as a greater threat to the environment, plants, microorganisms and even human beings. Microplastics can be intentionally produced for industries such as cosmetics, or they may be unintentionally generated from degradation of bulk plasti...

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Published in:Journal of materials science 2023-08, Vol.58 (32), p.12899-12928
Main Authors: Borah, Shikha Jyoti, Gupta, Abhijeet Kumar, Gupta, Akanksha, Bhawna, Kumar, Sanjeev, Sharma, Ritika, Kumar, Ravinder, Kumar, Pramod, Dubey, Kashyap Kumar, Kaushik, Sandeep, Mishra, Ajay Kumar, Kumar, Vinod
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological activity
Biological effects
Biosphere
Characterization and Evaluation of Materials
Chemistry and Materials Science
Classical Mechanics
Cosmetics
Crystallography and Scattering Methods
Degradation
Ecological effects
Materials Science
Plastic pollution
Plastic scrap
Polymer Sciences
Review
Solid Mechanics
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Summary:Over the last century, accumulation of microplastic has emerged as a greater threat to the environment, plants, microorganisms and even human beings. Microplastics can be intentionally produced for industries such as cosmetics, or they may be unintentionally generated from degradation of bulk plastic debris. Furthermore, mismanagement of plastic waste is a major source of microplastics. When ingested, microplastics can alter several physical, chemical and biological processes in living organisms. Thus, their toxicity silently spreads its roots into the biosphere. Unfortunately, current strategies for the elimination of microplastics are not sufficient for their complete removal and degradation. Therefore, the adoption of green innovative technologies is the first step toward a microplastic-free environment. However, advances for its effective degradation and elimination are hindered by our limited understanding. This literature study investigates microplastic comprehensively, covering their sources, fate, ecological impacts and their effects on biological processes. It includes an analysis of microplastics in Indian rivers, explores methods for its eradication and degradation, emphasizes plastic recycling and offers future recommendations to pave way toward achieving a microplastic-free environment. Graphical Abstract
ISSN:0022-2461
1573-4803
DOI:10.1007/s10853-023-08806-8