Challenges with microplastic pollution in the regime of UN sustainable development goals

The growth of synthetic polymers has resulted in a significant rise in the manufacturing and use of plastics worldwide. Microplastics (MPs) may survive in the environment for very prolonged periods because of how slowly plastics degrade. Information on the importance of several potential entrance pa...

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Main Authors: Moharana Choudhury, Priyabrata Roy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:World Development Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772655X2500014X
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author Moharana Choudhury
Priyabrata Roy
author_facet Moharana Choudhury
Priyabrata Roy
author_sort Moharana Choudhury
collection DOAJ
description The growth of synthetic polymers has resulted in a significant rise in the manufacturing and use of plastics worldwide. Microplastics (MPs) may survive in the environment for very prolonged periods because of how slowly plastics degrade. Information on the importance of several potential entrance paths and the number of MPs entering the environment via numerous mediums is still needed. Numerous questions about the environmental consequences of MPs remain unsolved despite the enormous amount of research that has been carried out. It is still difficult to understand the true effects on a population exposed to several MPs with various structures, sizes, and shapes throughout a lifetime. Importantly, hazardous chemicals such as persistent organic pollutants could be deposited on the physical surface of MPs. As a result, it could be a localized source of environmental contamination or a pathway for harmful contaminants in the food chain, which has serious consequences for human health. This review emphasizes the various sources of MP pollution and its implications for aquatic, human health, and terrestrial ecosystems with respect to the legal implications of managing it under the canopy of the United Nations' sustainable development objectives.
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spelling doaj-art-d8d7e2e1dfa84b63ac195704d10af6892025-08-20T03:21:46ZengElsevierWorld Development Sustainability2772-655X2025-06-01610021610.1016/j.wds.2025.100216Challenges with microplastic pollution in the regime of UN sustainable development goalsMoharana Choudhury0Priyabrata Roy1Environmental Research and Management Division, Voice of Environment, Assam, IndiaDepartment of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, India; Centre of Excellence in Rice Value Addition (CERVA), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)—South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC), Varanasi, India; Corresponding author at: Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, India.The growth of synthetic polymers has resulted in a significant rise in the manufacturing and use of plastics worldwide. Microplastics (MPs) may survive in the environment for very prolonged periods because of how slowly plastics degrade. Information on the importance of several potential entrance paths and the number of MPs entering the environment via numerous mediums is still needed. Numerous questions about the environmental consequences of MPs remain unsolved despite the enormous amount of research that has been carried out. It is still difficult to understand the true effects on a population exposed to several MPs with various structures, sizes, and shapes throughout a lifetime. Importantly, hazardous chemicals such as persistent organic pollutants could be deposited on the physical surface of MPs. As a result, it could be a localized source of environmental contamination or a pathway for harmful contaminants in the food chain, which has serious consequences for human health. This review emphasizes the various sources of MP pollution and its implications for aquatic, human health, and terrestrial ecosystems with respect to the legal implications of managing it under the canopy of the United Nations' sustainable development objectives.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772655X2500014XMicro plasticEnvironmental pollutionHarmful contaminantsSustainabilitySustainable development goalsPolicy framework
spellingShingle Moharana Choudhury
Priyabrata Roy
Challenges with microplastic pollution in the regime of UN sustainable development goals
World Development Sustainability
Micro plastic
Environmental pollution
Harmful contaminants
Sustainability
Sustainable development goals
Policy framework
title Challenges with microplastic pollution in the regime of UN sustainable development goals
title_full Challenges with microplastic pollution in the regime of UN sustainable development goals
title_fullStr Challenges with microplastic pollution in the regime of UN sustainable development goals
title_full_unstemmed Challenges with microplastic pollution in the regime of UN sustainable development goals
title_short Challenges with microplastic pollution in the regime of UN sustainable development goals
title_sort challenges with microplastic pollution in the regime of un sustainable development goals
topic Micro plastic
Environmental pollution
Harmful contaminants
Sustainability
Sustainable development goals
Policy framework
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772655X2500014X
work_keys_str_mv AT moharanachoudhury challengeswithmicroplasticpollutionintheregimeofunsustainabledevelopmentgoals
AT priyabrataroy challengeswithmicroplasticpollutionintheregimeofunsustainabledevelopmentgoals