Independent Researcher, 650 Trailwood Path, Unit D, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, USA.
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University Heights, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jul 23;20(14):6434. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20146434.
Plastic materials that are less than 5 mm in size are defined as Microplastics (MPs). MPs that are intentionally produced are called primary MPs; however, the most abundant type in the environment consists of the remainder created by the fragmentation of large plastic debris through physical, chemical, and oxidative processes, which are called secondary MPs. Due to their abundance in the environment, poor degradability, toxicological properties, and negative impact on aquatic and terrestrial organisms, including humans, MP pollution has become a global environmental issue. Combatting MP pollution requires both remediation and preventive measures. Although remediation is a must, considering where the technology stands today, it may take long time to make it happen. Prevention, on the other hand, can be and should be done now. However, the effectiveness of preventive measures depends heavily on how well MP escape routes are researched and understood. In this research, we argue that such escape routes (rather, loopholes) exist not only due to mismanaged plastic waste, but also due to cracks in the current waste management systems. One known MP loophole is facilitated by wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). The inability of existing WWTP to retain finer MPs, which are finally released to water bodies together with the treated wastewater, along with the return of captured larger MPs back to landfills and their release into the environment through land applications, are a few examples. Organic waste composting and upcycling of waste incineration ash provide other MP escape pathways. In addition, it is important to understand that the plastics that are in current circulation (active use as well as idling) are responsible for producing MPs through regular wear and tear. Closing these loopholes may be best attempted through policy interventions.
小于 5 毫米的塑料材料被定义为微塑料（MPs）。有意生产的 MPs 称为初级 MPs；然而，环境中最丰富的类型是由大塑料碎片通过物理、化学和氧化过程破碎产生的剩余物，称为次级 MPs。由于其在环境中的丰富度、较差的降解性、毒理学特性以及对包括人类在内的水生和陆地生物的负面影响，MP 污染已成为全球性的环境问题。应对 MP 污染需要采取补救和预防措施。尽管补救是必须的，但考虑到当今技术的发展，实现这一目标可能需要很长时间。另一方面，预防现在就可以而且应该进行。然而，预防措施的有效性在很大程度上取决于对 MP 逃逸途径的研究和理解程度。在这项研究中，我们认为，这些逃逸途径（或者说漏洞）不仅存在于管理不善的塑料废物中，还存在于当前废物管理系统的缺陷中。一个已知的 MP 漏洞是由废水处理厂（WWTP）造成的。现有的 WWTP 无法保留较细的 MPs，这些 MPs 最终与处理过的废水一起排放到水体中，而捕获的较大 MPs 则返回垃圾填埋场并通过土地应用释放到环境中，这只是其中的几个例子。有机废物堆肥和废物焚烧灰分的升级利用提供了其他的 MP 逃逸途径。此外，重要的是要了解，目前循环中的塑料（正在使用和闲置）通过正常磨损产生 MPs。通过政策干预来填补这些漏洞可能是最好的尝试。
