Microplásticos, Educação Ambiental e sociedade: desafios para a formação de cidadãos ambientalmente responsáveis

Microplastics are emerging pollutants with widespread environmental distribution; they have been detected in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, food, and living organisms, highlighting their potential impacts on biodiversity and human health. In this context, Environmental Education plays a strategic role in preparing students to critically understand this issue. This study aimed to discuss the environmental impacts of microplastics and their inclusion as a topic in elementary school education through an integrative literature review. National and international publications from 2020 to 2026 were analyzed. The results highlight the need to integrate scientific knowledge into teaching practices, promoting scientific literacy and the development of sustainable attitudes from the earliest years of basic education.