Assessment of Microplastics from Surface Water Bodies: Challenges and Future Scopes

The term microplastics (MPs) refers to small solid particles with a size less than 5 mm made of non-biodegradable polymers like PE, PP, and PET. In India, plastics constitute to be a significant waste produced from every household, accounting for around 60% of the overall municipal solid waste generated. It finds an easy way of drifting into the river bodies and deteriorating the water quality. The presence of MPs in varying concentrations has been reported in Indian rivers. MPs pose a potential threat to the biosphere because of their better stability and greater potential to get fragmented. This creates a high chance of entering the food web and carrying harmful chemicals on their surfaces through adsorption. Different kinds of MPs exist in our environment that can be classified based on the origin of production and morphology differing in shape, colour, and size. These characteristics can be essentially utilized to find an efficient technique for assessing MPs from different environmental matrices. This review paper discusses various analytical techniques for assessing MPs from surface water bodies with their advantages and limitations. No single efficient assessment method for detecting MPs in water bodies could be relied entirely upon to date. Also, without further delay, it is required to visualize the current harm caused by these prevailing MPs around us and find ways to lower their production and impact. This aspect has been briefly highlighted. So, it needs to be researched intensively for efficient MPs identification, removal, and remediation.

Automated summary

Microplastics are small solid particles made of non-biodegradable polymers with a size less than 5 mm. In India, plastics make up a significant portion of municipal solid waste, with around 60% generated from households. These plastics easily find their way into rivers and deteriorate water quality. Different types of microplastics exist in the environment and can enter the food chain, carrying harmful chemicals. This review paper discusses various analytical techniques for assessing microplastics in surface water bodies and highlights the need for efficient identification, removal, and remediation methods.