Plastics have been used extensively in various daily life applications. However, many plastic products are disposed of after a single use, and the improper disposal and elimination of plastics contributes to environmental pollution . Plastic products entered the market in the 1950s. The production of plastics in Europe reached 58 million tons in 2014. Microplastics (MPs) pollution has been a major global environmental issue. However, no ultimate solution is yet available for successfully managing or reducing the increasing amount of plastics in the environment because of their versatility and convenience for a wide variety of daily usage. Through the years, a significant number of studies have found that a continuous exposure to MPs may induce a wide variety of disruptive effects on the health of many species. More than 40% of plastic is single—use packaging. It is predicted that the amount of plastic waste will reach 13% by 2060 and will continue to increase. It is estimated that by 2040, about 250 million metric tons of plastic waste will enter the water system and about 460 million metric tons will enter the soil system. It is very difficult to imagine life without plastics, which have become part of our everyday life. They are used in a lot of applications related to packaging, the automotive industry, aquaculture, fisheries, agriculture, building, furniture, transportation, personal care products, textiles, clothing, etc. Plastics are often used as materials in various industries due to their low production costs, easy transportation, low weight, and high resistance. Important environmental challenges include the necessity to reduce the amount of contaminants in the environment and eliminate and suppress their effects. Plastic pollution in all components of the environment such as water, air, soil, and biota, and their negative impact on human health are still a misunderstood research area.
Author(s) Details:
Csilla Mišľanová
Faculty of Nursing and Professional Health Studies, Institute of Nutrition, Slovak Medical University, 833 03, Bratislava, Slovakia
Martina Valachovičová
Faculty of Nursing and Professional Health Studies, Institute of Nutrition, Slovak Medical University, 833 03, Bratislava, Slovakia
Also See :
Recent Global Research Developments in Microplastic Pollution Research Overview
Current State of Microplastic Pollution Research Data:
- Researchers are actively studying microplastic pollution to understand its impact on water quality and environmental and human health.
- Ensuring that environmental microplastics research data are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) is crucial for informed policy and mitigation strategies.
- A bibliographic analysis of microplastics articles indexed in Web of Science since 2006 revealed that less than a third (28.5%) contained a data sharing statement. Most often, data were provided in the articles’ supplementary material (38.8%), and only 13.8% were shared via a data repository [1].
Global Trends in Microplastic Research:
- A recent bibliometric analysis of publications from 1990 to 2022 highlighted influential countries, authors, institutes, papers, and journals related to microplastics.
- The number of microplastic publications and citations has steadily increased in recent years [2].
Freshwater Ecosystems Research:
- An analysis of 814 papers related to microplastics published between 2013 and 2022 explored trends, focal points, and national collaborations in freshwater microplastics research.
- This study provides valuable insights for future research in freshwater ecosystems [3].
Marine Microplastic Pollution:
- Another study focused on discerning patterns and trends in Marine Microplastic Pollution (MMP) based on a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications from 2011 to 2022 [4].
References
- Jenkins T, Persaud BD, Cowger W, Szigeti K, Roche DG, Clary E, Slowinski S, Lei B, Abeynayaka A, Nyadjro ES, Maes T, Thornton Hampton L, Bergmann M, Aherne J, Mason SA, Honek JF, Rezanezhad F, Lusher AL, Booth AM, Smith RDL and Van Cappellen P (2022) Current State of Microplastic Pollution Research Data: Trends in Availability and Sources of Open Data. Front. Environ. Sci. 10:912107. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2022.912107
- Davtalab, M., Byčenkienė, S. & Uogintė, I. Global research hotspots and trends on microplastics: a bibliometric analysis. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 107403–107418 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-27647-1
- Wang Y, Liu G, Wang Y, Mu H, Shi X, Wang C, Wu N. The Global Trend of Microplastic Research in Freshwater Ecosystems. Toxics. 2023; 11(6):539. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11060539
- Mishra, M., Sudarsan, D., Santos, C.A.G. et al. Current patterns and trends of microplastic pollution in the marine environment: A bibliometric analysis. Environ Sci Pollut Res 31, 22925–22944 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32511-x
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