Release of micro-and nanoplastics into the environment during industrial processes. Knowledge and development of a methodological approach for qualitative assessment of emission risk

Synthesis

Disclaimer: The content of this publication is based on the state of knowledge and the regulatory framework in force at the time of publication of the documents.

Context

Microplastics (MPs), whose presence has been detected in various environmental compartments and in the food chain, represent a real public health concern. Although many sources of contamination have now been identified and documented, few data are available on the contribution of industrial discharges to this pollution, or on the practices to be adopted by manufacturers to limit and monitor these discharges. 

Objectives

In this context, the aims of this study are: 

• to inform manufacturers about the main issues surrounding these emissions,
• to help manufacturers identify: the nature of processes potentially emitting nano and microplastics (NMPs), the characterization techniques for analyzing these emissions, and the means for mitigating them.

Methodology

The main industrial issues were studied in four areas: environmental, health, regulatory and metrological. This was based on a literature review. 

A typology of industrial activities that are already identified as potential NMP sources of NMPs was developed. This was based on a review of current knowledge regarding the release of NMP by industries, an analysis of the physical, chemical and tribological characteristics of the polymers involved in the formation of NMPs during industrial processes and data from a field survey conducted among plastics companies. 

A multi-criteria matrix was developed to assess the risk of NMPs emissions from different industrial operations. This matrix was developed through a cross analysis of bibliographic data and field feedback and integrates all stages of the NMP generation chain:

• Formation at the process level, 
• Transfer to industrial effluents and/or working environment, 
• Release of contaminated effluents into the natural environment.

Main results

The results presented are intended for industrialists who wish to assess the risk of NMPs emissions associated with their activities as part of a risk assessment and control approach:

Figure 1 : Summary of study findings (RECORD, AMVALOR, IPC, 2025)

1-- Summary of the issues
2-- Typology of industrial activities
      A Matrix for the qualitative assessment of the potential for NMPs emissions from industrial processes
3-- List of means of preventing or mitigating such releases
4-- Qualitative decision-aid table for identifying the analytical techniques best suited to the needs to companies needs when analysing their effluents

Although certain industrial activities have been identified as point sources of PM emissions, knowledge about this type of release is still limited. The main challenge for industry is to improve understanding of the formation, transfer and release pathways of NMPs within their processes, with the aim of identifying ways to reduce these emissions at source.

In terms of health, NMPs are considered emerging contaminants that may pose a risk. However, current knowledge of exposure levels, the biological fate of NMPs in the body, and their toxicological effects is insufficient to prove a hazard. There have been descriptions of occupational diseases potentially linked to high exposure to NMPs in the workplace, suggesting that controlling employee exposure is the priority industrial issue.

In an evolving regulatory environment, the European Union has set a target to reduce MP releases into the environment by 30% by 2030. To this end, European and French regulations are gradually introducing restrictions on the sale of products containing intentionally added MPs, while also strengthening environmental monitoring of MPs. In this context, companies' ability to characterise NMPs potentially present in their emissions could become a major challenge in terms of compliance and regulatory anticipation.

In terms of metrology, various characterisation techniques are used in research to analyse NMPs. Manufacturers must identify the most relevant analytical techniques depending on their technical constraints, the nature of their matrices and their objectives (screening, monitoring, quantification, etc.). 

Figure 2: NMP analysis techniques divided according to the number of steps required for sample preparation and their detection limits. The nature of the output data is indicated by symbols representing NMP concentration, particle morphology and particle material(s), respectively. An order of magnitude of equipment cost is given by the color/dotted code. Abbreviations correspond to those detailed in Table 1 (RECORD, AMVALOR, IPC, 2025).

Table 1: Summary of names, output data (concentration, morphology and material), detection limits, order of magnitude of price and preparation steps for the various analytical techniques studied (separation, purification, additional step) (RECORD, AMVALOR, IPC, 2025).

Typology of industrial activities potentially emitting NMPs

This typology includes processes from the following sectors: mechanical plastics recycling, textile industry, plastics processing, additive and extractive manufacturing, petrochemicals, waste incineration, ultrafiltration water treatment and glass recycling. The results of the survey carried out among companies in the plastics industry are shown below.

Table 2: Typology of industrial activities potentially releasing NMPs in the plastic recycling sector [(Compilation, RECORD, AMVALOR, IPC, 2025), (Brown et al. 2023), (Zhan et al. 2022)]

Table 3: Typology of industrial activities potentially releasing NMPs in the textile sector, [(Compilation, RECORD, AMVALOR, IPC, 2025), (Pinlova, Hufenus, et Nowack 2022), (Cai et al. 2020)], (Dreillard et al. 2022), (Grillo et al. 2023), (Choi et al. 2021)]

(1) : Hypothesis: Transfer to wastewater during textile washing
(2) : Hypothesis: Risk of transfer of the shortest microfibers to the dust extraction systems of framing and stretching machines. (Pinlova, Hufenus, et Nowack 2022)

Table 4: Typology of industrial activities potentially releasing NMPs in the glass recycling sector from packaging and construction waste [[Compilation, RECORD, AMVALOR, IPC, 2025], (Zhang et al. 2022)

Table 5: Typology of industrial activities potentially releasing NMPs in the additive and extractive manufacturing sectors, [(Compilation, RECORD, AMVALOR, IPC, 2025), (Murashov et al. 2021)]

Table 6: Typology of industrial activities potentially releasing NMPs in the municipal solid waste incineration sector, [[Compilation, RECORD, AMVALOR, IPC, 2025], (Shen et al. 2021)]

Table 7: Typology of industrial activities potentially releasing NMPs in the petrochemical sector, [(Compilation, RECORD, AMVALOR, IPC, 2025), (Deng et al. 2023)]

(1) WWTP : Wastewater treatement plant

Table 8: Typology of industrial activities potentially releasing NMPs in the ultrafiltration drinking water treatment sector, [[Compilation, RECORD, AMVALOR, IPC, 2025], (Maliwan et Hu 2025)]

Table 9: Typology of industrial activities potentially releasing NMPs in the plastics processing sector, (RECORD, AMVALOR, IPC, 2025)

Multi-criteria evaluation matrix of NMPs emission potential

The first part of the matrix applies to each unit operation of an industrial process. Each positive response to one of the questions indicates the presence of a risk of NMPs formation, and where applicable, an increased risk. This first level of assessment thus enables manufacturers to identify their potential sources of NMPs emissions and the causes that can be addressed to prevent them.

The second part of the matrix aims to assess the risk of NMPs being transferred to fluids and/or ambient air in contact with them. This allows the identification of potentially contaminated industrial effluents and working environments. 

The results are expressed in the form of risk bands.

Analysis and comments on these results

The results of this study are intended for companies that wish to understand the main issues associated with industrial NMP discharges and assess whether their processes generate this type of pollution., However, there are a number of limitations to these results: 

- Qualitative assessment

Note the difficulty in qualifying the level of risk associated with the various indicators in the multi-criteria assessment matrix, which are all illustrated by the same color (orange). This is due to the lack of data available in the scientific literature with which to quantify and compare the levels of NMPs formed, transferred and released by different industrial processes. 

- Assessment of raw risk

The indicators in the multicriteria matrix enable a raw risk to be assessed based solely on the intrinsic properties of plastic processes and materials. This does not take into account the various means that companies can implement to prevent or mitigate the effect. Prevention and mitigation measures identified in the scientific literature are then proposed.

Conclusion

This study sheds light on industrial NMP emissions and the associated issues, providing a matrix for the qualitative assessment of NMP emission risk from industrial processes. Based on the current state of scientific and technical knowledge, these results will evolve in line with advances in knowledge on the subject.

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