Plastic and Microplastic in the Environment

Sumi HandiqueDepartment of Environmental Science Tezpur University Tezpur, Assam India

Sumbul JahanDepartment of Biotechnology Vinoba Bhave University Hazaribag, Jharkhand India

Rabindra KumarCentral Instrumentation Laboratory Central University of Punjab Bathinda India

Rakesh KumarDepartment of Environmental Sciences University of Jammu Jammu India

Sushil KumarDepartment of Chemical Engineering Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) Allahabad, Prayagraj UP India

Sophayo MahongnaoDepartment of Biochemistry Daulat Ram College University of Delhi New Delhi India

Carolina Martínez‐SalvadorTechnische Universität Desdren Dresden Germany

Ankitendran MishraDepartment of Metallurgical Engineering IIT Banaras Hindu University Varanasi India

Sarita NandaDepartment of Biochemistry Daulat Ram College University of Delhi New Delhi India

Sara Ojeda‐BenítezUniversidad Autónoma de Baja California Mexicali Baja California Mexico

Ankita OjhaDepartment of Chemistry Maharaja College Arrah, Bihar India

Beatriz Pérez‐AragónUniversidad Autónoma Metropolitana Mexico City Mexico

Abhay PuniaDepartment of Zoology Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar, Punjab India

Sanchayita RajkhowaDepartment of Chemistry Jorhat Institute of Science and Technology Jorhat, Assam India

Akanksha RajputDepartment of Environmental Sciences University of Jammu Jammu India

Sumeer RazdanCentral Instrumentation Laboratory Central University of Punjab Bathinda India

Jyotirmoy SarmaDepartment of Chemistry Assam Kaziranga University Jorhat, Assam India

Steplinpaulselvin SelvinsimpsonSchool of Environmental Science and Engineering Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China

Soha ShabakaHydrobiology Lab Department of Marine Environment National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF) Cairo Egypt

Pooja SharmaDepartment of Biochemistry Daulat Ram College University of Delhi New Delhi India

Dharm PalDepartment of Chemical Engineering National Institute of Technology Raipur India

Nalini Singh ChauhanDepartment of Zoology Kanya Maha Vidyalya Jalandhar, Punjab India

Richa SinghInstitute of Environment and Sustainable Development Banaras Hindu University Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh India

Anh Tuan TaSchool of Biochemical Engineering and Technology Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology Thammasat University Pathum Thani Thailand

Jocelyn Tapia‐FuentesUniversidad Autónoma Metropolitana Mexico City Mexico

Dhanesh TiwaryDepartment of Chemistry IIT Banaras Hindu University Varanasi India

Hasan UsluFood Engineering Department Engineering Faculty Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University Niğde Turkey

Alethia Vázquez‐MorillasUniversidad Autónoma Metropolitana Mexico City Mexico

Kailas L. WasewarAdvance Separation and Analytical Laboratory (ASAL) Department of Chemical Engineering Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) Nagpur, Maharashtra India

Humans have modified the environment to better answer their needs, and in the process, they have changed the homeostatic mechanisms of the earth's system. The ecological fabric of the planet has undergone drastic changes due to human‐induced modifications. These changes have resulted in certain thresholds of ecological systems being broken. One such human activity is the production of waste, mainly plastic waste. Plastics are a versatile material that provides an inexpensive alternative to many industries. Plastics are a group of synthetic polymers which are now considered as an indicator of the Anthropocene. Of the 300 million tons of plastic produced each year on average, 50% of waste is designed for waste applications, i.e., it is destined to be thrown away. The European Union alone accounts for about 650 thousand tons of flexible plastic wastes. Due to its applicability, potential technology for recycling and degradation of plastic debris has become an essential issue of the 21st century. Renewable raw materials in innovative polymer products with comparable production costs and efficient technology are being explored. Global production of plastic resin has increased from about 1.5 million tons in 1950 to 322 million tons in 2015. Overall, plastic consumption has given rise to the massive load of plastic waste which has disturbed the entire ecosystem. The disposal of plastic waste is a crucial issue regardless of the present awareness and technological capacity. Plastic has been identified to be a global pollutant that now contaminates our aquatic and soil systems. Its durability and use in various industries and as disposables have resulted in a large amount of plastic in landfills and open dumps. Waste disposal is a serious concern, especially in developing countries, due to the non‐implementation of rules and lack of public mobilization. Collection, segregation, and treatment or recycling are lacking, and about 90% of the waste is still disposed of through landfills. Because the presence of plastic waste is an unrelenting concern, mainly due to its non‐biodegradability and adverse environmental impacts, there is an urgent need to tackle the plastic waste issue. A combination of various techniques is currently used to increase the energy value or reduce the waste volume of plastic wastes. Recycling of plastic waste consists of converting it into fuel or feedstock, which would reduce the volume and the net cost of disposal. Recycling converts plastics into liquids or gases with chemical, thermal, or thermo‐chemical procedures. Chemical recycling, including de‐polymerization, pyrolysis, and catalytic cracking, are the usual procedures employed by industries for plastic recycling.The omnipresence of microplastics with a size range of <5 mm is increasing worldwide concerns about their implications for human health. Its presence in water, soil, and air poses serious health risks to humans and other organisms via the food chain. However, whether these contaminants pose a substantial risk to human health is far from understood. This book emphasizes the occurrence of plastic and microplastic in the environment, challenges faced, and various management strategies and policies for their management at the global level. It also includes health risk issues related to plastic and microplastic in different componentsof the environment.

This book displays several chapters on microplastic contamination in freshwater, marine water, soil, and air. It also includes a chapter focused on microplastic in various aquatic food chains and its impact on human health. It includes and highlights several techniques related to microplastic detection in different environmental media. Chapters on the distribution of plastic at the global level and challenges related to its recycling, degradation of plastic, and biodegradable plastic are also included. It also includes a chapter on the role of education and society to deal with plastic problems. This book will be helpful for graduate students, researchers, engineers, technologists, NGOs, and government agencies working in plastic and microplastic related issues.

This book is a humble effort to address the plastic and microplastic issues across the globe. We hope that it is an important addition to the available literature. The contributors of the book are from diversebackgrounds that provided holistic information on the topic. We convey our heartfelt gratitude to all the contributors and publishers who helped to produce an incredible and meaningful edited volume on a very relevant theme.