![]() ![]() Most aquatic plastic pollution monitoring data are obtained through numerical modeling and in situ sampling laboratory-based methods (e.g., micro Fourier transform infrared (μ-FTIR) spectroscopy, attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, μ-Raman imaging microscope, microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning electron microscope (SEM)). Despite these increasing trends of plastic pollution in water, water quality monitoring data on plastic pollution are insufficient. Plastic waste emissions into aquatic ecosystems are predicted to increase three-fold by 2040 if there are no significant interventions put in place. Most researchers have highlighted plastic pollution in water as a twenty-first-century problem of contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs) in the coastal zones, terrestrial, riverine, and oceanic ecosystems. Therefore, plastic pollution in water is a source of endocrine-disrupting activity chemicals that are hazardous to human health. The effects of leaching chemical components of plastic can have estrogenic activity (EA). Additionally, most plastic products, including those certified as bisphenol A-free plastics that find their way into the aquatic bodies, pose potential risks. Aquatic species get trapped and entangled in plastic webs, which hinders their mobility, and all forms of plastics in seafood and drinking water are ingested by wildlife. ![]() The negative global economic impact of plastic pollution on downstream industries such as aquaculture, tourism, wildlife, and the cost of cleanup has been calculated to be 6-16 billion USD annually. The United Nations Environment Program 2017 (UNEP 2017) estimated that plastic waste constitutes approximately 80% of the total waste deposited in the oceans this translates to 80 million tons per annum. Several studies demonstrate the ubiquitous occurrence of plastic debris as a worldwide contaminant or pollutant in water ecosystems. This review: (1) examines the literature to identify trends, accomplishments, and limitations of using satellite data to monitor plastics in water (2) identifies and compares traditional, and machine and deep learning satellite image classification methods for monitoring plastics in water and (3) identifies research gaps and summarizes future perspectives and recommendations to improve monitoring methods. The study purpose of this review is to analyze advances in emerging technology such as the use of satellite sensors to monitor the occurrence of macro- and microplastics in freshwater, ultimately aimed at creating new operational monitoring solutions. This provides a possible solution to these challenges by minimizing the fieldwork required and therefore reducing the costs and sampling time. There is increasing availability of free big geospatial data (amounting to petabytes/day) from satellite sensors for potentially monitoring plastics. ![]() Thus, insufficient monitoring data limit our understanding of the true quantities and persistence of plastic particles in aquatic ecosystems, as well as the extent to which they impact the aquatic environment. Traditional methods of monitoring plastics in water are constrained by high sampling costs, intensive labor, and limited temporal and spatial coverage, which results in limited monitoring data. Despite increasing levels of pollution in aquatic ecosystems, there are insufficient monitoring data to evaluate the extent of the catastrophe. Plastics in water (in their different forms, macro-, meso-, micro-, and nanoplastics) are contaminants of emerging concerns that have since evolved to be a global environmental threat. Therefore, it presents a global environmental catastrophe that requires immediate attention. Plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems has been identified as a growing global water pollution threat that is negatively impacting water quality and, as a result, affecting the health of humans, aquatic animals, and wildlife. ![]()
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