Sustainable Technologies for the Removal of Microplastics from Pharmaceutical Industrial Wastewater
摘要
Plastic with a size of less than 5 mm in all dimensions has been considered microplastic. Microplastic occurs in the soil, river water, seawater, sludge, and effluent discharges due to anthropogenic activities. Microplastics and pharmaceutical medications have been reported to have combined actions in wastewater where microplastics serve as adsorbents for the pharmaceuticals. Polyamide, polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyvinylchloride microplastics have been reported in wastewater with adsorbent properties. Interaction between drugs and microplastics imposes ecological threat due to the persistence of the pollutants. For the removal of pharmaceuticals from the environment, some measures are required to desorb them from microplastic. This chapter gives insights into the role of microplastics as a vector for pharmaceutical drugs. This chapter summarizes the occurrence and fate of microplastics along with the sustainable technologies for the removal of microplastics from industrial wastewater.