According to EPA.gov, microplastics are plastic particles ranging in size from five millimeters (mm), which is about the size of a pencil eraser, to one nanometer (mm). Microplastics can be classified into two categories: Primary and Secondary Microplastics.
Primary Microplastics are synthetic polymers used as exfoliants in various processes, chemical formulations, grinding products, maintenance of various plastic products and manufacturing of synthetic clothing. Microbeads are another type of primary plastic (<2mm). These are polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) beads used in cosmetics and care products. Due to their small size, these microparticles can pass through wastewater treatment plants before reaching the aquatic environment.
Secondary Microplastics are the fragmented product of macro- and mesoplastics, under the effect of various environmental processes: Biodegradation, Phot-degradation, thermos-oxidative degradation, thermal degradation, and hydrolysis.
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