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Microplastic Pollution: Harmful Effects and Possible Bioremediation Strategies

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Impact of COVID-19 Waste on Environmental Pollution and Its Sustainable Management

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Abstract

Ecosystems on land and in the sea are now being threatened by Microplastic (MP) pollution. It is numerous, persistent in the environment, and intricate. Concerns about the impact of MP pollution on ecosystems on the environment, economy, and society have drawn a lot of attention to studies on potential alternatives and corrective measures. Recent technological developments in the clean-up of MP pollution, as well as their implications for the economy and society, have not been studied. A possible remediation pathway has also been described, along with perspectives on future activities. MPs are pervasive in all spheres of human interaction (soil, water, and atmosphere) and dangerous to ecosystem biota, eventually contaminating food systems and harming human health. As it degrades more quickly than conventional plastic and is more susceptible to microorganisms, biodegradable plastic is recognized as an effective substitute for conventional plastic. A combination of biodegradable plastics and bioremediation, which involves removing MPs from the environment by using microorganisms, suggests a potential solution to the issue of MPs polluting ecosystems. As a result, biodegradable plastics made from biomass that isn't edible, like algae, may offer a way to eliminate MP pollution and promote the sustainability of ecosystems. Determining the environmental, economic, and social effects of biodegradable plastics and the bioremediation of MPs in ecosystems is therefore crucial in order to identify any potential threats to ecosystems and human health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, College of Basic Science and Humanities, OUAT, Bhubaneswar, India

    Jyoti Prava Behera, Subhash Chandra Sethi, Debasis Dash & Sunanda Mishra

  2. Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, New York, NY, USA

    Subhash Chandra Sethi, Debasis Dash & Debasis Dash

Authors
  1. Jyoti Prava Behera
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  2. Subhash Chandra Sethi
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  3. Debasis Dash
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  4. Sunanda Mishra
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Correspondence to Debasis Dash .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Life Sciences, Rama Devi Women's University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

    Alok Prasad Das

  2. Department of Botany, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

    Sunanda Mishra

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Behera, J.P., Sethi, S.C., Dash, D., Mishra, S. (2024). Microplastic Pollution: Harmful Effects and Possible Bioremediation Strategies. In: Das, A.P., Mishra, S. (eds) Impact of COVID-19 Waste on Environmental Pollution and Its Sustainable Management. Environmental Science and Engineering. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-50840-0_3

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