Nanomaterials for Microplastic Removal from Wastewater: Current State of the Art Nanomaterials and Future Prospects

Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) infiltrate aquatic environments at an alarming rate, posing a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems and human health. Wastewater treatment plants are significant sources of MPs/NPs contamination in the aquatic environment, since they are inadequate at removing these MPs/NPs. This calls for the development and application of new technologies for MPs/NPs removal. Recent studies have demonstrated that nanomaterials (NMs) are effective in the removal of MPs from wastewater. This review examines MPs/NPs removal from wastewater using NMs. Despite a specific synthesis of NMs adapted for MP removal from water bodies not being clearly defined, the review assesses the current state of knowledge in relation to MPs/NPs removal from wastewater using NMs and the effect of water characteristics on the removal mechanism. Additionally, various insights into NM development based on specific interactions are addressed and linked to their suitability for wastewater treatment. There is currently considerable interest in chemically synthesizing NMs for the removal of MPs from wastewater. However, further developments are needed in the areas of physical and green synthesis of NMs for the removal of MPs. This review provides a baseline for future research and development of NMs for removing MPs from wastewater.