Characterization and regulation of microplastic pollution for protecting planetary and human health

Jung, Youn Soo; Sampath, Vanitha; Prunicki, Mary; Aguilera, Juan; Allen, Harry; LaBeaud, Desiree; Veidis, Erika; Barry, Michele; Erny, Barbara; Patel, Lisa; Akdis, Cezmi; Akdis, Mubeccel; Nadeau, Kari

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120442

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Jung, Y. S., Sampath, V., Prunicki, M., Aguilera, J., Allen, H., LaBeaud, D., Veidis, E., Barry, M., Erny, B., Patel, L., Akdis, C., Akdis, M., & Nadeau, K. (2022). Characterization and regulation of microplastic pollution for protecting planetary and human health. Environmental Pollution, 315, 120442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120442

Abstract

Microplastics are plastic particles <5 mm in diameter. Since the 1950s, there has been an exponential increase in the production of plastics. As of 2015, it is estimated that approximately 6300 million metric tons of plastic waste had been generated of which 79% has accumulated in landfills or the natural environment. Further, it is estimated that if current trends continue, roughly 12,000 million metric tons of plastic waste will accumulate by 2050. Plastics and microplastics are now found ubiquitously-in the air, water, and soil. Mi