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Plastics are ubiquitously utilized across various industries including medical, pharmaceutical, automotive, and packaging sectors and play a pivotal role in daily life. Because of their light weight, elastic, water resistant and durable nature they cannot be replaced by other materials. However, the extensive use of plastics leads to significant waste generation, and improper disposal practices result in their release into the environment. These plastics, known as primary plastics, undergo degradation through biophysiochemical processes in the environment, leading to the formation of secondary plastics. When these particles are smaller than 5 mm, they are termed microplastics. Due to their diminutive size, microplastics have an increased potential for bioaccumulation, posing substantial risks to human health. Recent studies have detected microplastics in various human organs including the liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, breast milk and intestines and it is not clear to the scientific community to relate if the human accumulation is related to their presence in several consumables such as drinking water, vegetables, salt, honey, and seafood. The known acute toxicity of plastics and their additives presents a serious societal threat and may contribute to numerous health issues, including cancers. Given these concerns, there is an urgent need to regulate the release of microplastics, submicron, and nano-sized plastic debris into the environment and to minimize human exposure. This presentation aims to provide an overview of current microplastic research, focusing on their occurrence, fate (transport, stability, toxicity), and remediation strategies, while also identifying gaps for future research.
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