Invisible Waste, Unequal Burdens: How Global Gaps in Microplastic Monitoring Threaten Water Security

Vulturine Parrot

18-10-2025

“Weirdness is not a flaw. It’s a frequency.”

In Kingfisherish Wandering [1]

© Naja Bertolt Jensen

Microplastics (MPs)—plastic fragments smaller than 5 mm—have infiltrated nearly every corner of the planet’s water systems [2-4]. A new meta-analysis by Austin and colleagues [5] integrates data from 247 wastewater treatment plants (or Water Resource Recovery Facilities, WRRFs) across 78 studies worldwide, exposing how socioeconomic inequality and inconsistent methodologies shape the true scale of MP pollution.

The study found severe regional imbalances in MP data. Western Europe, East Asia, and the U.S. dominate the literature, while Africa, South America, and much of Southeast Asia remain underrepresented. Using principal component analysis (PCA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA), the authors demonstrated that study methodology—especially the lower size limit (LSL) of particles detected—has the strongest impact on reported MP removal rates. Smaller mesh sizes capture more particles, resulting in apparently poorer removal efficiency.

Socioeconomic indicators also play a role. WRRFs in wealthier nations tend to remove MPs more efficiently, but local disparities within countries—measured by regional GDP per capita (GRDP)—can be equally influential. For example, South Korea achieved near-complete removal (≈ 99.6%), while Vietnam’s facilities averaged only 62%, largely due to regional wealth differences and infrastructural limitations.

Machine-learning models confirmed that effluent MP concentration, treatment level, and regional wealth are key predictors of removal efficiency. However, large uncertainties remain because most studies overlook factors such as mismanaged waste, sewer design, and industrial input, all of which significantly influence MP flow into water systems. The research underscores that the world’s poorest and most polluted regions are often the least studied, distorting global understanding and impeding equitable policy responses.

The findings illuminate a deeper imbalance: technological advancement without ecological empathy. Enhancing Nature Quotient (NQ)—the capacity to perceive, respect, and harmonize with ecological limits—demands global cooperation in pollution monitoring and waste governance [6]. By fostering transparency and inclusion in scientific research, societies can strengthen individual and social peace, ensuring that clean water is not a privilege of wealthier nations but a shared foundation of human and ecological well-being [7].

References

[1] Nguyen MH. (2025). Kingfisherish Wandering. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVLLLXNW/

[2] Bergmann M, et al. (2019). White and wonderful? Microplastics prevail in snow from the alps to the Arctic. Science Advances, 5(8), eaax1157. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aax1157

[3] Moyo S. (2022). An enigma: a meta-analysis reveals the effect of ubiquitous microplastics on different taxa in aquatic systems. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, 999349. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.999349

[4] Rochman CM. (2018). Microplastics Research—From sink to source. Science, 360, 28-29. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aar7734

[5] Austin ES, et al. (2025). Meta-analysis on microplastics monitoring in global water resource recovery facilities: An emphasis on overlooked factors. Environmental Pollution, 386, 127220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127220

[6] Vuong QH, Nguyen MH. (2025). On Nature Quotient. Pacific Conservation Biology, 31, PC25028. https://doi.org/10.1071/PC25028

[7] Nguyen MH, Ho MT, La VP. (2025). On “An” (安): Inner peace through uncertainty, nature quotient, and harmony with Dao. http://books.google.com/books/about?id=NIKMEQAAQBAJ