Omnipresence of plastics: A review of the microplastic sources and detection methods

Abstract

Plastic polymers are present in all aspects of modern human life, with their production increasing significantly year by year. Micsroplastics (MPs) are plastic units with a size range of 1 µm to 5 mm, omnipresent in nature. They have been detected in water, soil, air, food, and drinking water and thus represent a severe threat to human health, especially because they represent a good adsorbent for hydrophobic toxic chemicals, such as PAHs, pesticides, and others. The analysis of MPs from environmental samples requires specific sample preparation procedures. In order to detect, identify and characterize MP particles, various methods have been employed, including: optical and scanning electron microscopy; infra-red and Raman spectroscopy; gas and liquid chromatography; and tagging methods, all of them with certain advantages and limitations. Recently, the MP issue has been more acknowledged, but still, many questions arise and wait to be solved. Further studies are necessary to improve existing analysis methods, and more education is needed to raise awareness amongst the general public about the emerging problem of plastics in nature.

Keywords

• microplastics
• environment
• micropollutants
• sampling
• analysis
• health risk