Abstract:
Microplastics (MPs), an emerging contaminant in aquatic environments, are the
cause of ecological and climatic risk and have thus become a hot topic for the global
scientific community [1]. of the plastic waste that appears in natural environments [2]
can be categorized into four main classes: macroplastics (MPs > 25 mm), mesoplastics
(5–25 mm), microplastics (0.1–5 mm), and nanoplastics (NPs < 100 nm). Generally, plastic
products generated throughout the human-dominated era are regarded as a sink in aquatic
environments [3,4]. Understanding the potential sources of MPs in both freshwater and
marine environments, along with their types, activities, makeup, and prevalence, poses a
significant obstacle for those involved in water resource management, planning, and envi ronmental advocacy. In developing countries (such as India, China, and other South Asian
regions), millions of tons of single-use plastic materials are manufactured and disposed of
annually, adjoining to the marine system through coastal regions and rivers and, thereby,
affecting marine life [5,6]. It is highly likely that, due to anthropogenic disturbances and
the excessive use of MP products, these artificial polymers accumulating in freshwater
habitats are leading to devastating alterations in aquatic ecosystems. Research activities
are predominantly concentrated on marine ecosystems, neglecting freshwater systems,
especially rivers, despite an understanding that rivers and land areas are significant sources
and pathways transporting microplastics into the oceans. A number of methods, tools,
and techniques have been adopted to sample, isolate, characterize, quantify, and identify
microplastics in water columns and benthic sediment but quantification techniques that
are more accurate still need to be explored [7]. Recently, MPs have been identified in both
drinking water and its sources of origin, prompting deliberation concerning the practical
implications of these developments and potential risks to human health. The absence of a
standardized procedure for identifying, extracting, and sampling these MPs renders the
qualitative aspect of their occurrence uncertain, leaving a realm yet to be investigated by
researchers working in this field.
