Monitoring and removal technologies of microplastics in the environment

Abstract

Microplastic (MP) contamination of the environment is one of the major problems to human and other creatures' health. In recent decades, researchers hardly work to find alternate products for MPs sources, detection, and removal technologies of MPs from various polluted environments. This review discusses the various sources of MPs, ways to minimize the contamination, environmental health effects caused by MPs pollution, and the detection of MPs in various environmental and food samples. Additionally, the sensing mechanism, efficiency, merits, demerits, and challenges in detection techniques for various samples like air, water, and soil samples are described along with suitable examples. Further, the microplastic removal and treatment technologies such as coagulation and flocculation, membrane, biological, filtration, advanced oxidation process, and adsorption technologies are deeply evaluated to gather the necessary knowledge to make a pollution-free environment. In the end, the complications in detection and removal technologies in the current situation and opportunities to overcome the MPs' pollution problem are addressed.