Comprehensive Strategies for Mitigating Microplastic Pollution: From Detection to Remediation

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are persistent contaminants with serious environmental and human health consequences. This review examines the origins, distribution, and impacts of MPs on ecosystems, human health, and climate change. MPs are harmful contaminants prevalent everywhere, from wastewater treatment plants to polar regions, where a concentration as high as 1300–4800 particles per m³ has been detected. In addition to advanced microscopy, methods such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy—techniques that analyze the molecular composition of materials—are widely employed to detect MPs. Once MPs are detected and characterized using these techniques, the next critical step involves their remediation from the environment. Based on the type of MPs, physical, chemical, or biological methods have been used for the remediation of MPs from the environment. Physical methods such as filtration and adsorption are simple and inexpensive, achieving over 99% removal of MPs in laboratory tests; however, these methods are only trap and immobilize the MPs, requiring additional steps for complete remediation. Chemical methods such as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and electrocoagulation are highly effective, capable of removing 80% of MPs but requiring a high energy input. Biological remediation techniques such as biodegradation appear to be a sustainable approach for mitigating MPs, with some species of Aspergillus capable of degrading over 94% of MPs, although it is still being investigated in the field. Even after significant advancements, challenges such as the fragmentation of MPs into nanoplastics and the release of by-products in the environment persist. Emerging solutions—such as bioengineered enzymes, which could prevent the fragmentation of MPs into nanoplastics, biosensors for rapid detection to reduce by-product release, and genetic modification of microorganisms designed for targeted degradation—offer promising directions to overcome current limitations. The development of standard detection methods and large-scale remediation measures is a key to alleviating the detrimental effects of MP pollution.