Microplastic contamination has become a problem, as plastic production has increased worldwide. Microplastics are plastics with particles of less than 5 mm and are absorbed through soil, water, atmosphere, and living organisms and finally affect human health. However, information on the distribution, toxicity, analytical methods, and removal techniques for microplastics is insufficient. For clear microplastic analytical methods and removal technologies, this article includes the following: (1) The distribution and contamination pathways of microplastics worldwide are reviewed. (2) The health effects and toxicity of microplastics were researched. (3) The sampling, pretreatment, and analytical methods of microplastics were all reviewed through various related articles. (4) The various removal techniques of microplastics were categorized by wastewater treatment process, physical treatment, chemical treatment, and biological treatment. This paper will be of great help to microplastic analysis and removal techniques.

Many air pollutants are inhaled by human breathing, increasing the prevalence of respiratory disease and even mortality. With the recent COVID-19 issue, the number of air pollutants affecting humans is demands further investigation. However, there are not many adequate air measuring devices that can cover a variety of air pollutants. In this study, the developed air measurement system is able to measure sixteen air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, PM4.0, PM1.0, CO2, CH4, temperature, humidity, VOCs, O2, H2S, NH3, SO2, CO, O3, NO2) in real time. The developed ‘multi-item air quality monitoring system’ can measure sixteen air pollutants in real time and transmit them to the server and the smartphone application at the same time. It was developed to reduce air pollutant damage to humans by emergency alerts using the smartphone application. The development system is composed of hardware development (measurement device) and software development (smartphone application, server). To verify the reliability of the developed equipment, a comparative test, temperature–humidity accuracy test, and operating temperature test were conducted. In the comparative test, difference ratios of ±5% for PM10, ±6% for PM2.5, ±4% for O3, ±5% for NO2, ±7% for CO, and ±7% for SO2 were found compared to the professional measuring devices. The temperature and humidity accuracy test result showed high reliability at ±1% and humidity ± 2%. The result of the operating temperature test showed that there was no problem in normal operation, However, further tests including the long-term comparative test and the closed chamber test will be carried out for all sensors. Additional work including a long-term test for more clear reliability of the device and closed chamber accuracy test for all 16-item sensors, data acquisition rate, and data transmit rate are in progress for commercializing the device.

Microplastic pollution in the ocean has a major impact on marine organisms, including digestive system damage and reduced growth and fertility. This study investigated the amount, size, color, type, and presence of heads and intestines of microplastics by size in Litopenaeus vannamei, a type of marine organism. Microplastic analysis was performed using FTIR and digital microscopy. The number of microplastics by the size of the shrimp ranged from 1.73 to 3.8 MPs per 10 g, and the microplastic size of less than 100 μm was 77–92%, with blue showing the highest ratio. As for the type of plastic, PE and PP showed the highest ratio, and PET, PS, nylon, and PVC were found. Microplastics were found to be 11.83 MPs/10 g for heads and intestines and 3.16 MPs/10 g for samples without heads and intestines. This study adds to evidence for the presence of high levels of microplastics in the intestines and heads of shrimp. It also enhances our understanding of the need for efficient plastic waste management in the ocean and the impact of microplastics on marine biota.