Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics on the Environment
Keywords:
Microplastics, Nanoplastics, Additive, Environment, Impact, Plastic Waste ManagementAbstract
Background and Objectives: The production and use of plastic products result in the generation of microplastics and nanoplastics—tiny plastic particles that are often invisible to the naked eye. These particles can spread across land, water sources and the air, infiltrating ecosystems and food production systems consumed by humans as well as the air we breathe. This has negative impacts on health and can lead to emerging diseases that are difficult or even impossible to cure. It is a critical issue that requires urgent attention. The present article therefore aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the sources of microplastics and/or nanoplastics, their spread into aquatic and terrestrial environments and the associated challenges related to their presence in ecosystems. Additionally, the article compiles examples of treatment and pollution management processes, along with future research directions focused on controlling the problem, understanding the pathways of spread into water and soil, mitigating ecological impacts and reducing the biological threats posed by microplastics and nanoplastics. It is worth noting that industrial sector member countries around the world, including Thailand, are currently in the process of drafting a Global Plastics Treaty. Such a treaty aims to establish a unified framework for all 175 member countries to collaboratively reduce the amount of microplastics and nanoplastics in the near future.
Content: Microplastics and nanoplastics pose hazards and adverse effects on the environment as well as on humans and other living organisms due to their small sizes and unique physicochemical properties. Microplastics are small plastic particles with diameters less than 5 mm and originate from two primary sources viz. primary microplastics, which are intentionally manufactured to be small for specific applications, and secondary microplastics, which result from the breakdown of larger thermoplastics under various environmental conditions, such as weathering, mechanical degradation, and reactions with ultraviolet radiation, sunlight, heat, waves, and wind. Another category of extremely small plastics is nanoplastics, with diameters ranging from 1 to 1,000 nanometers. These tiny plastics can enter the environment through several pathways, e.g., via runoff from human activities that carry microplastics and nanoplastics into topsoil or through atmospheric circulation from such external sources as traffic or dust dispersion from communities. The environmental harm caused by microplastics depends on the monomer components used in plastic synthesis, additives within the plastic matrix and the fragmentation pathways. Additives in microplastics can leach into water or soil due to diffusion processes, as they are often weakly bound to the plastic matrix. Nanoplastics, having a larger surface-area-to-volume ratio than microplastics, can more easily penetrate the bodies of living organisms. Therefore, the petrochemical industry, plastics industry and all downstream polymer-related sectors must implement preventive measures to curb the release of microplastics and nanoplastics into the environment—on land, in water and in the air. Effective management requires collaboration among all stakeholders involved in the production of petrochemicals, polymers, plastics and plastic end-products as well as proper environmental waste management practices for plastic waste.
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