Post-pandemic micro/nanoplastic pollution: Toward a sustainable management.

The global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in massive plastic pollution from the use of personal protection equipment (PPE), with polypropylene (PP) being a major component. Owing to the weathering of exposed PPEs, such contamination causes microplastic (MP) and nanoplastic (NP) pollution and is extremely likely to act as a vector for the transportation of COVID-19 from one area to another. Thus, a post-pandemic scenario can forecast with certainty that a significant amount of plastic garbage combined with MP/NP formation has an adverse effect on the ecosystem.

Microplastic/nanoplastic toxicity in plants: an imminent concern.

The toxic impact of microplastics/nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) in plants and the food chain has recently become a top priority. Several research articles highlighted the impact of MPs/NPs on the aquatic food chain; however, very little has been done in the terrestrial ecosystem. A number of studies revealed that MPs/NPs uptake and subsequent translocation in plants alter plant morphological, physiological, biochemical, and genetic properties to varying degrees.

Detection and removal of microplastics in wastewater: evolution and impact.

The pervasiveness of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems has become a major environmental issue in recent years. The gradual dumping of plastic wastes, inadequate standard detection methods with specific removal techniques, and slow disposal rate of microplastics make it ubiquitous in the environment. Evidence shows that microplastics act as a potential vector by adsorbing different heavy metals, pathogens, and other chemical additives widely used in different raw plastic production.