Microplastic Pollution: Analytical Techniques, Policy Landscape, and Integrated Strategies for Sustainable Environmental Stewardship

Microplastics are a pervasive ecological threat accumulating across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems through environmental transport pathways. A combination of primary microplastics directly emitted from industrial effluent, synthetic textiles, and personal care products alongside secondary microplastics formed via degradation of plastic waste drive contamination globally. Once propagated, microplastics elicit ecotoxicity via particle physical impacts and chemical additive leaching. This review systematically consolidates current literature on analytical techniques for microplastic detection, existing and proposed environmental policy regulations, as well as waste management and remediation strategies. Over 200 seminal studies spanning detection modalities from microscopy to spectroscopy, legislative measures on national to international scales, and sustainability approaches emphasize the need for an integrated tiered framework to mitigate microplastic pollution through evidence-based guidelines and technological solutions. Elucidating conspicuous gaps in translating science to tangible interventions provides a road map for future efforts based on standardized methods, life cycle assessments, and circular economy principles.