Issue 3, 2023

The emergence of microplastics: charting the path from research to regulations

Abstract

Despite decades of research detailing widespread contamination and potential risks of microplastics (synthetic particles <5 mm) to humans and ecosystems by the scientific community, government agencies have made little progress to address the emerging contaminant class. Research on microplastics has increased exponentially in recent years, however translation of studies and data into knowledge that's useful for management requires clear communication between the scientific and management communities. Legislative mandates to address microplastics in drinking water and aquatic ecosystems in California prompted rapid development of fundamental tools and methods for identifying and assessing risks, including a legal definition, analytical monitoring methods, and risk assessment frameworks. While this scientific progress provides a baseline foundation for developing regulations for microplastics in California and other jurisdictions, additional research is needed to reduce uncertainties and overcome logistical barriers that are preventing the full emergence of microplastics as a regulated contaminant suite. This paper provides critical insights from both scientific and regulatory perspectives regarding recent advances in the field and recommends a path forward to overcome barriers.

Graphical abstract: The emergence of microplastics: charting the path from research to regulations

Article information

Article type
Perspective
Submitted
08 Nov 2022
Accepted
31 Jan 2023
First published
01 Feb 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Environ. Sci.: Adv., 2023,2, 356-367

The emergence of microplastics: charting the path from research to regulations

S. Coffin, Environ. Sci.: Adv., 2023, 2, 356 DOI: 10.1039/D2VA00275B

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications, without requesting further permission from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given and it is not used for commercial purposes.

To request permission to reproduce material from this article in a commercial publication, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party commercial publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements