A REVIEW ON DIFFERENT METHODS OF THE DEGRADATION OF MICROPLASTIC FROM THE ENVIRONMENT

ABSTRACT

Microplastic is a term used to describe microscopic plastic particles that are more common in the environment and are less than 5 mm in size. Due to their small size, these Microplastics have a negative impact on the environment, particularly aquatic life, which is inhaled, choked, and entangled. Due to the characteristics of plastic; it takes a thousand years for this microplastic to disintegrate, Therefore, it persists in nature.

Degradation is an efficient method for getting rid of plastic pollution, and since it is the result of several degradation methods working together in nature and taking future engineering applications into account, it is important to have a thorough understanding of how plastics degrade. It is clear that there are still a lot of difficulties to be solved in the degradation of microplastics, and there aren't any proven solutions that can be employed in engineering or in nature on a large scale. Research on the breakdown of microplastics is thus urgently needed.

Because of the severe harm they pose to biota, microplastic contamination has become a major global environmental concern. However, there have only been a few investigations on the removal of microplastic contamination. Due to their smaller size than plastic goods, microplastics were not suited for typical treatment methods. So many therapy options for microplastics have been researched. This study outlined the recently reported strategies for microplastic degradation, including direct photodegradation, photocatalytic oxidation, electrochemical oxidation, and biodegradation, as well as the relevant mechanisms of degradation and the present status of development. Each technique's traits and restrictions were thoroughly explained. We discovered that while almost all of them successfully degraded microplastics, most showed that under laboratory circumstances, microplastics can only be partially converted into valuable chemicals or even CO₂ and H₂O.