MICROPLASTICS: Current status, Environmental challenges, and Future Research Directions

Microplastics are polymer particles smaller than 5 mm in size, which have become ubiquitous environmental contaminants with high potential ecological and human health risks due to their abundance in marine and freshwater environments, as well as their improper disposal into terrestrial environments. Microplastics originate from a variety of primary and secondary sources. Due to their persistence in the environment, small size, and large surface area, microplastics can accumulate and transfer pollutants and pathogens into the food chain, where they can affect organisms at different levels by causing oxidative stress, inflammation, toxicity, and impairing reproduction and ecosystems. Although there is evidence of the impact of microplastics, the long-term effects on human health are still unclear. This review aims to provide an in-depth understanding of current knowledge on microplastic sources, classification, and environmental occurrence; analytical methodologies for their identification, characterisation, and quantification; ecological and human health impacts; and mitigation and remediation measures. In addition, this review discusses regulatory aspects, research gaps, and future directions for microplastic pollution management. Microplastics require integrated research and appropriate policies to control them and mitigate their environmental and health effects.