Problematika mikroplastů v odpadovém hospodářství

Abstract

The increasing amount of non-biodegradable plastic waste poses a serious environmental threat. The use of plastics and their subsequent inefficient disposal leads to the accumulation of plastic waste in the environment, where it breaks down over time into ever smaller particles called microplastics. These spread through all environmental compartments and, as they are able to be transported over long distances, they have been detected in almost all environmental compartments and their quantity is increasing every year. Microplastic pollution is thus becoming not only an environmental threat but also a potential risk to human and animal health. The aim of this paper is to summarize the current knowledge about the pathways of microplastics into the environment, their degradation and regulation in the form of legislation and regulations not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the European Union and worldwide.