Microplastic particles in the aquatic environment: A systematic review

Mohammad Boshir Ahmed; Md Saifur Rahman; Jahangir Alom; MD Saif Hasan; M. A.H. Johir; M. Ibrahim H. Mondal; Da Young Lee; Jaeil Park; John L. Zhou; Myung Han Yoon

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145793

Microplastic particles in the aquatic environment: A systematic review

Mohammad Boshir Ahmed
, Md Saifur Rahman
, Jahangir Alom
, MD Saif Hasan
, M. A.H. Johir
, M. Ibrahim H. Mondal
, Da Young Lee
, Jaeil Park
, John L. Zhou
, Myung Han Yoon

Research output: Journal Publication › Review article › peer-review

212 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) pollution has become one of the most severe environmental concerns today. MPs persist in the environment and cause adverse effects in organisms. This review aims to present a state-of-the-art overview of MPs in the aquatic environment. Personal care products, synthetic clothing, air-blasting facilities and drilling fluids from gas-oil industries, raw plastic powders from plastic manufacturing industries, waste plastic products and wastewater treatment plants act as the major sources of MPs. For MPs analysis, pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC–MS), Py-MS methods, Raman spectroscopy, and FT-IR spectroscopy are regarded as the most promising methods for MPs identification and quantification. Due to the large surface area to volume ratio, crystallinity, hydrophobicity and functional groups, MPs can interact with various contaminants such as heavy metals, antibiotics and persistent organic contaminants. Among different physical and biological treatment technologies, the MPs removal performance decreases as membrane bioreactor (> 99%) > activated sludge process (~98%) > rapid sand filtration (~97.1%) > dissolved air floatation (~95%) > electrocoagulation (> 90%) > constructed wetlands (88%). Chemical treatment methods such as coagulation, magnetic separations, Fenton, photo-Fenton and photocatalytic degradation also show moderate to high efficiency of MP removal. Hybrid treatment technologies show the highest removal efficacies of MPs. Finally, future research directions for MPs are elaborated.

Original language	English
Article number	145793
Journal	Science of the Total Environment
Volume	775
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145793
Publication status	Published - 25 Jun 2021
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Biological process
Chemical technology
Contaminant interactions
Microplastics analysis
Physical treatment

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Environmental Engineering
Environmental Chemistry
Waste Management and Disposal
Pollution

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10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145793

Cite this

@article{6c789cf97ff548eeb231b386e686a3d5,

title = "Microplastic particles in the aquatic environment: A systematic review",

abstract = "Microplastics (MPs) pollution has become one of the most severe environmental concerns today. MPs persist in the environment and cause adverse effects in organisms. This review aims to present a state-of-the-art overview of MPs in the aquatic environment. Personal care products, synthetic clothing, air-blasting facilities and drilling fluids from gas-oil industries, raw plastic powders from plastic manufacturing industries, waste plastic products and wastewater treatment plants act as the major sources of MPs. For MPs analysis, pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC–MS), Py-MS methods, Raman spectroscopy, and FT-IR spectroscopy are regarded as the most promising methods for MPs identification and quantification. Due to the large surface area to volume ratio, crystallinity, hydrophobicity and functional groups, MPs can interact with various contaminants such as heavy metals, antibiotics and persistent organic contaminants. Among different physical and biological treatment technologies, the MPs removal performance decreases as membrane bioreactor (> 99\%) > activated sludge process (\textasciitilde{}98\%) > rapid sand filtration (\textasciitilde{}97.1\%) > dissolved air floatation (\textasciitilde{}95\%) > electrocoagulation (> 90\%) > constructed wetlands (88\%). Chemical treatment methods such as coagulation, magnetic separations, Fenton, photo-Fenton and photocatalytic degradation also show moderate to high efficiency of MP removal. Hybrid treatment technologies show the highest removal efficacies of MPs. Finally, future research directions for MPs are elaborated.",

keywords = "Biological process, Chemical technology, Contaminant interactions, Microplastics analysis, Physical treatment",

author = "Ahmed, \{Mohammad Boshir\} and Rahman, \{Md Saifur\} and Jahangir Alom and Hasan, \{MD Saif\} and Johir, \{M. A.H.\} and Mondal, \{M. Ibrahim H.\} and Lee, \{Da Young\} and Jaeil Park and Zhou, \{John L.\} and Yoon, \{Myung Han\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2021",

month = jun,

day = "25",

doi = "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145793",

language = "English",

volume = "775",

journal = "Science of the Total Environment",

issn = "0048-9697",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Microplastic particles in the aquatic environment

T2 - A systematic review

AU - Ahmed, Mohammad Boshir

AU - Rahman, Md Saifur

AU - Alom, Jahangir

AU - Hasan, MD Saif

AU - Johir, M. A.H.

AU - Mondal, M. Ibrahim H.

AU - Lee, Da Young

AU - Park, Jaeil

AU - Zhou, John L.

AU - Yoon, Myung Han

PY - 2021/6/25

Y1 - 2021/6/25

N2 - Microplastics (MPs) pollution has become one of the most severe environmental concerns today. MPs persist in the environment and cause adverse effects in organisms. This review aims to present a state-of-the-art overview of MPs in the aquatic environment. Personal care products, synthetic clothing, air-blasting facilities and drilling fluids from gas-oil industries, raw plastic powders from plastic manufacturing industries, waste plastic products and wastewater treatment plants act as the major sources of MPs. For MPs analysis, pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC–MS), Py-MS methods, Raman spectroscopy, and FT-IR spectroscopy are regarded as the most promising methods for MPs identification and quantification. Due to the large surface area to volume ratio, crystallinity, hydrophobicity and functional groups, MPs can interact with various contaminants such as heavy metals, antibiotics and persistent organic contaminants. Among different physical and biological treatment technologies, the MPs removal performance decreases as membrane bioreactor (> 99%) > activated sludge process (~98%) > rapid sand filtration (~97.1%) > dissolved air floatation (~95%) > electrocoagulation (> 90%) > constructed wetlands (88%). Chemical treatment methods such as coagulation, magnetic separations, Fenton, photo-Fenton and photocatalytic degradation also show moderate to high efficiency of MP removal. Hybrid treatment technologies show the highest removal efficacies of MPs. Finally, future research directions for MPs are elaborated.

AB - Microplastics (MPs) pollution has become one of the most severe environmental concerns today. MPs persist in the environment and cause adverse effects in organisms. This review aims to present a state-of-the-art overview of MPs in the aquatic environment. Personal care products, synthetic clothing, air-blasting facilities and drilling fluids from gas-oil industries, raw plastic powders from plastic manufacturing industries, waste plastic products and wastewater treatment plants act as the major sources of MPs. For MPs analysis, pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC–MS), Py-MS methods, Raman spectroscopy, and FT-IR spectroscopy are regarded as the most promising methods for MPs identification and quantification. Due to the large surface area to volume ratio, crystallinity, hydrophobicity and functional groups, MPs can interact with various contaminants such as heavy metals, antibiotics and persistent organic contaminants. Among different physical and biological treatment technologies, the MPs removal performance decreases as membrane bioreactor (> 99%) > activated sludge process (~98%) > rapid sand filtration (~97.1%) > dissolved air floatation (~95%) > electrocoagulation (> 90%) > constructed wetlands (88%). Chemical treatment methods such as coagulation, magnetic separations, Fenton, photo-Fenton and photocatalytic degradation also show moderate to high efficiency of MP removal. Hybrid treatment technologies show the highest removal efficacies of MPs. Finally, future research directions for MPs are elaborated.

KW - Biological process

KW - Chemical technology

KW - Contaminant interactions

KW - Microplastics analysis

KW - Physical treatment

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85101353843

U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145793

DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145793

M3 - Review article

C2 - 33631597

AN - SCOPUS:85101353843

SN - 0048-9697

VL - 775

JO - Science of the Total Environment

JF - Science of the Total Environment

M1 - 145793

ER -

Microplastic particles in the aquatic environment: A systematic review

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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