Chapter 18 - Challenges and opportunities for microplastic and nanoplastic removal from industrial wastewater

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are ecotoxicological threats because they are able to accumulate and transport toxic metals, persistent organic pollutants, or pharmaceutical products. Consequently, NP pollution is also a public health problem. MP and NP particles arise into surface water bodies and sea water through two major routes: (1) by the transport in the marine environment as synthetic microbeads or microparticles (for example, incorporated into cosmetic products or during the washing of synthetic clothes) and (2) by the fragmentation of large plastic debris into MPs and NPs through ultraviolet (UV) photodegradation, biodegradation, and mechanical and chemical degradation processes (secondary microplastics). Even if the interest of the scientific community in environmental pollution caused by MPs and NPs started at the beginning of the 21st century, the research works for reducing and/or removing them in water are very recent. The objective of this chapter is to present the main methods of treatment or removal of MPs and NPs from water and the processes under development.