Freshwater microplastics governance and sustainable development: Pollution status, interactions, policies, and prospective studies

Concerns about microplastics are increasing due to their potential threats to ecosystems and human health. Current research focuses mainly on marine environments, with insufficient study on freshwater microplastics. This study reviews the research status, policies, and interactions of freshwater microplastics over the past 20 years and proposes feasible policy suggestions. The widespread presence of microplastics in freshwater poses risks to aquatic organisms and potential impacts on human health through the food chain. In response to this issue, various countries and organizations have proposed policies, mainly focusing on reducing sources, recycling and substitution, monitoring and evaluation, and pollution control. The spatiotemporal distribution of microplastics varies, and their interactions with pollutants involve mechanisms such as hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, π-π interactions, surface complexation, and van der Waals forces. These findings provide a theoretical basis for future governance, monitoring, and effective policy formulation for sustainable management of microplastics.