Sources, consequences, and control of nanoparticles and microplastics in the environment

Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) and microplastics (MPs) have become a global concern due to their toxic nature and drastic increase in production volume. They are seen as major contaminants in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems because of their small size and complexity in predicting their interactions with other environmental contaminants. Misuse and improper disposal of ENPs and MPs often lead to their accumulation in different segments of the environment causing toxic effects in all living organisms ranging from microbes, plants, animals, and humans to aquatic life. Their bio-accumulation leads to interference in the food web thereby disturbing the balance in the ecosystem, leading to ecotoxicity. Cytotoxicity, gene alteration, autoimmune disorders, DNA damage, Immunotoxicity, generation of reactive oxygen species, and inhibition of enzymatic activity are a few toxic effects of ENPs and MPs to mention. Considering the above-mentioned issues, this chapter discusses various sources of ENPs and MPs, their consequences on living organisms and the environment, and their control measures mainly in an aquatic environment. The control measures include various separation techniques for ENPs like size exclusion chromatography (SEC), ozonation, membrane filtration, and filtration techniques for MPs like disk filter, rapid sand filter dissolved air floatation, and membrane bio-reactor.