Overview of Microplastics and Their Environmental Occurrences

The global community has witnessed a significant and prominent issue of microplastics (MPs) contamination in the environments as a result of the ever-increasing and necessary plastic productions, which possess several beneficial mechanical and chemical properties. In recent years, the increasing environmental threat has been attributed to the inappropriate disposal of plastic garbage, namely plastic pollution and the presence of microplastics (plastic particles having < 5 mm diameter). This chapter present an overview of MPs and their environmental occurrences. Beside the sources, distributions and occurrences of MPs, plastic production and intricate global dynamics of MPs were discussed. In addition, various potential toxicities associated with MPs and the corresponding health effects were discussed. In conclusion, this chapter identifies potential areas for future research. It is imperative to implement strategies and initiatives that promote the widespread adoption of the “reduce-reuse-recycle” circular economy among individuals and companies. Such an approach offers a cost-efficient means of mitigating the influx and buildup of plastic objects and microplastic particles in aquatic/marine ecosystems.