REQUIMTE/LAVQ-Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV) of the Network of Chemistry and Technology (REQUIMTE), Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto-Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 431, 4249-015 Porto, Portugal.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 5;19(9):5610. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095610.
Plastics have been one of the most useful materials in the world, due to their distinguishing characteristics: light weight, strength, flexibility, and good durability. In recent years, the growing consumption of plastics in industries and domestic applications has revealed a serious problem in plastic waste treatments. Pollution by microplastics has been recognized as a serious threat since it may contaminate all ecosystems, including oceans, terrestrial compartments, and the atmosphere. This micropollutant is spread in all types of environments and is serving as a "minor but efficient" vector for carrier contaminants such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The need to deeply study and update the evolution of microplastic sources, toxicology, extraction and analysis, and behavior is imperative. This review presents an actual state of microplastics, addressing their presence in the environment, the toxicological effects and the need to understand their extent, their interactions with toxic pollutants, the problems that arise in the definition of analytical methods, and the possible alternatives of treatments.
塑料由于其重量轻、强度高、柔韧性好、耐用性好等特点，成为世界上最有用的材料之一。近年来，塑料在工业和家庭应用中的消费不断增加，暴露出塑料废物处理的严重问题。由于微塑料可能污染包括海洋、陆地环境和大气在内的所有生态系统，因此已被认为是一种严重的威胁。这种微污染物广泛存在于各种环境中，并作为载体污染物（如农药、药物、金属、多氯联苯（PCBs）和多环芳烃（PAHs））的“微小但有效的”载体。深入研究和更新微塑料来源、毒理学、提取和分析以及行为的演变是必要的。本文综述了微塑料的现状，讨论了其在环境中的存在、毒理学效应以及了解其范围、与有毒污染物相互作用、分析方法定义中出现的问题以及可能的处理方法的必要性。
