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A Review on the Fate of Microplastics: Their Degradation and Advanced Analytical Characterization

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Abstract

Today, the world is struggling with the colossal amount of microplastics (MPs) due to the tremendous increase in the global production. Presence of MPs in the water samples, biological samples, and its potential to carry lethal chemicals raised the interest on better management of MPs. However, an effective degradation methodology is necessary to decrease the prolonged lifetime of such polymeric materials. So far, very limited reports are available on the degradation methods such as photo-oxidation, biodegradation, photo-thermal oxidative process, subsequent mechanisms involved during the degradation of MPs. Many critical challenges pertaining to those are poorly understood. Particularly, the extraction process, reliable methods to degrade MPs and their analytical techniques, level of MPs contamination in commercially caught fishes and the population at large. Here, we have revisited shortly on current MPs extraction process, various degradation methods using catalyst with their respective mechanisms. Also, the role of most common analytical methods/tools, to identify, analyse the degraded product from MPs, both environment samples and experimental samples, were elaborated. Finally, the solutions to overcome the problems were identified.

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Acknowledgements

Shamili.B, Manaswini R, Kumar babu. B, Goutam Kumar Dalapati would like to acknowledge SRM University, AP-Andhra Pradesh for the support. Sabyasachi Chakrabortty acknowledges the financial support from SRM University AP, Andhra Pradesh for internal research grant (SRMAP/URG/E&PP/2022-23/014). Sajal Biring acknowledges the financial assistance from Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (Grant No. MOST—110-2221-E-131 -019) and National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan (Grant no. NSTC 112-2221-E-131-008-MY2). Soumabha Bag would like to acknowledge SERB, DST, Govt. of India for Start-up Research Grant (Grant Number: SRG/2022/002245). P.P. thanks SERB, DST, Govt. of India for her research fellowship.

Funding

This study was supported by Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India for Start-up Research Grant, SRG/2022/002245; Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, MOST - 110-2221-E-131 -019; National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan, NSTC 112-2221-E-131-008-MY2; SRM University AP, Andhra Pradesh, SRMAP/URG/E&PP/2022-23/014.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, SRM University AP - Andhra Pradesh, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, 522240, India

    Shamili Bandaru, Kumar Babu Busi & Sabyasachi Chakrabortty

  2. Department of Nanotechnology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, 522510, India

    Manaswini Ravipati & Basavaiah Chandu

  3. Department of Industrial Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, 796004, India

    Plabana Phukan & Soumabha Bag

  4. Center for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117576, Singapore

    Goutam Kumar Dalapati

  5. Sunkonnect, 1 Cleantech Loop, Singapore, 637141, Singapore

    Goutam Kumar Dalapati

  6. Department of Electronic Engineering and Organic Electronics Research Center, Mingchi University of Technology, New Taipei City, 24301, Taiwan

    Goutam Kumar Dalapati, Sajal Biring & Sabyasachi Chakrabortty

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  1. Shamili Bandaru
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  9. Sabyasachi Chakrabortty
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Contributions

Conceptualization—SB, SB, GKD, SB, SC. Methodology—SB, MR, KBB, PP, SB, BC, GKD, SB, SC. Resources—SB, MR, KBB, PP, SB, BC, GKD, SB, SC. Writing—Original Draft—SB, MR, KBB, PP, SB, BC, GKD, SB, SC. Writing—Review & Editing—SB, SB, GKD, SB, SC.

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Correspondence to Soumabha Bag, Sajal Biring or Sabyasachi Chakrabortty.

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Bandaru, S., Ravipati, M., Busi, K.B. et al. A Review on the Fate of Microplastics: Their Degradation and Advanced Analytical Characterization. J Polym Environ (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-023-03102-7

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