Removal of microplastic and plasticizer from waterbodies; A review

Environmental pollutants like microplastics and plasticizers, have emerged to become a very significant source of pollution, simply because they are persistent, ubiquitous in the environment, and toxic to many components in their environment as well as to human health. This article presents a comprehensive review on different techniques that could be used to identify and remove microplastics and plasticizers in water systems. As such, these pollutants arise from commonly used products, such as packaging, cosmetics, and synthetic fabrics, which find their way into aquatic ecosystems as wastewater or poorly managed waste. A number of detection methods are essential that run from microscopy and spectroscopic to chromatographic techniques to analyze the physical and chemical properties of microplastics. Among these innovative removal techniques, including density separation, hydrogels, coagulation, and electrocoagulation, varying efficiencies are found in isolating and degrading microplastics and plasticizers such as Bisphenol A (BPA) and Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP). Beside that, bioremediation, advanced oxidation processes, and the application of new materials such as metal-organic framework in the removal of plasticizers are also discussed. Sustainable removal methods suitable for reasonable economic cost are presented to be developed crucially because only these can treat and reduce ecological as well as health hazards from microplastic and plasticizer contamination.