GLOBAL WARNING Plastic paint

Abstract Microplastic pollution is widely associated with packaging, textiles, and industrial waste, yet polymer‑based architectural, marine, and infrastructure paints represent one of the largest and least recognised sources of persistent microplastics entering global ecosystems. As nations transition from solvent‑based coatings to water‑based acrylic and vinyl formulations, microplastic shedding from painted surfaces is accelerating. Weathering, UV degradation, hydrolysis, and mechanical abrasion release polymer fragments into soil, rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, where they bind heavy metals and contribute to long‑term ecological and human health risks. This paper examines the mechanisms of microplastic release from modern coatings, highlights the emerging contamination burden in major river systems, and presents mineral‑based lime and silicate paints as viable, non‑polymeric alternatives capable of reducing environmental load. Regulatory recognition of paint weathering as a microplastic source is urgently required to prevent further contamination.