A systematic review of biomonitoring microplastics in environmental matrices: Emphasis on airborne particles, dry deposits, and comparative analysis with traditional methods

Abstract

The use of plastics continues to rise each year due to their versatility and essential role in industries like manufacturing, agriculture, and food packaging. However, plastics present a serious environmental challenge because they take over 500 years to decompose. During this time, they break down into tiny particles known as microplastics (MPs), which are now found everywhere, water, soil, and even the air we breathe. Recently, researchers have even detected MPs in clouds, making their presence in the atmosphere a growing concern for both the environment and public health. Traditional methods for sampling MPs in the air, such as active and passive techniques, can be expensive and complicated, often requiring specialized equipment and expertise. This has sparked interest in biomonitoring—an eco-friendly alternative that uses plants, mosses, and lichens to naturally trap MPs from the air. Biomonitoring offers a simpler, more cost-effective, and non-invasive way to study airborne MPs, providing a potential solution for long-term monitoring of air quality. In this review, we examine studies that have explored the use of plants to monitor atmospheric MPs and compare these methods with traditional sampling techniques. We highlight the advantages and limitations of both approaches, focusing on how biomonitoring can offer important insights into the types, concentrations, and distribution of MPs in the air. Additionally, biomonitoring helps us understand how these pollutants might be impacting living organisms. With MP pollution becoming an increasingly urgent issue, this review underscores the value of biomonitoring as a practical and sustainable tool for policymakers and environmental managers looking to address the growing problem of atmospheric MPs.