Recent advances in treatment of microplastics in wastewater

Abstract

Microplastics are newly emerged contaminants having a ubiquitous presence in almost every kind of environmental matrix. Water is one of the most important reservoirs of microplastics, which also serves as an efficient medium for the transfer of these particles to various abiotic matrices and biotic lives. As per recent research, microplastics in water are an emerging public health issue that needs attention, and hence, suitable treatment methodologies are needed to reduce the contamination potential of water/wastewater. Although conventional wastewater treatment methods are able to remove microplastics to some extent, complete removal is challenging to date. Therefore, new techniques are being explored, among which the use of bioinspired molecules, metal organic frameworks, and biological materials is important. Further, the mechanical removal of microplastics through engineered micromotors and chemical degradation through various techniques have also been investigated. While some of these techniques are attractive and provide suitable solutions, their wide-scale applicability and cost-effectiveness are issues. Moreover, the techniques that can be suitably incorporated into conventional wastewater treatment systems are more preferred. Considering all these issues, this chapter will discuss the recent technological advances in the removal of microplastics from wastewater.