A critical overview of the analytical approaches to the occurrence, the fate and the behavior of microplastics in the environment

•Microplastics (<5 mm) are accumulating in the environment.•Assessment of the approaches to sampling and sample handling for microplastics.•Methods for morphological and physical classification of microplastics.•Methodologies for chemical characterization and quantification of microplastics.•Environmental analysis for occurrence, fate and behavior of microplastics.

Plastics can be found in food packaging, shopping bags, and household items, such as toothbrushes and pens, and facial cleansers. Due to the high disposability and low recovery of discharged materials, plastics materials have become debris accumulating in the environment. Microplastics have a dimension <5 mm and possess physico-chemical properties (e.g., size, density, color and chemical composition) that are key contributors to their bioavailability to organisms. This review addresses the analytical approaches to characterization and quantification of microplastics in the environment and discusses recent studies on their occurrence, fate, and behavior. This critical overview includes a general assessment of sampling and sample handling, and compares methods for morphological and physical classification, and methodologies for chemical characterization and quantification of the microplastics. Finally, this review addresses the advantages and the disadvantages of these techniques, and comments on future applications and potential research interest within this field.