Removing microplastics requires a layered strategy that intercepts particles at every point in the water cycle, starting with municipal and industrial treatment plants. Conventional primary‐and‑secondary treatment captures only a fraction of fragments, but adding tertiary barriers—such as rapid‑sand filtration, membrane disc filters, or stacked cloth screens—can lift overall removal to 80‑90 percent; pilot drinking‑water plants outfitted with micro‑ and ultrafiltration membranes report similar efficiencies of 82–88 percent. Settling models show that simply optimizing clarifiers for particle density also boosts capture rates, underscoring how incremental upgrades to existing infrastructure can prevent billions of microplastics from reaching natural waterways each day. 

When tighter performance is required—particularly for wastewater laden with textile fibers or pellet dust—engineers turn to physicochemical processes. Electrocoagulation, which uses sacrificial metal electrodes to generate coagulant ions in situ, binds polystyrene and polyethylene fragments into flocs that can be skimmed or settled; bench‑scale trials now routinely exceed 95 percent capture, and full‑scale pilots have topped 99 percent at neutral pH. Membrane bioreactors, nanofiltration trains, and granular activated‑carbon beds supply additional polish, stripping the last few parts per billion of free particles before effluent is returned to rivers or reused in industry. 

A wave of next‑generation technologies is pushing the frontier even further. Magnetic nanoparticles coated with polydopamine or other mussel‑inspired adhesives latch onto plastics, allowing operators to sweep mixed micro‑ and nanoplastics from bulk water with low‑energy magnets; recent lab studies remove 99 percent of particles in minutes and recover both the magnets and plastic for recycling. Researchers are also experimenting with bio‑adhesive “rafts,” photocatalytic nanofibers that degrade polymers under sunlight, and enzyme‑seeded filters that nibble polymers into benign monomers—all pointing toward scalable remediation tools for decentralized or resource‑limited settings. 

Because roughly 80 percent of ocean plastic enters via just 1,000 rivers, many projects now focus on interception. Solar‑powered barges such as The Ocean Cleanup’s Interceptor corral floating debris into onboard dumpsters without blocking boat traffic or harming wildlife; deployments on rivers from Malaysia to Thailand already remove tens of thousands of kilograms of plastic per day. Similar boom‑and‑conveyor systems, trash wheels, and city‑scale litter nets can be installed in harbors, storm‑drain outfalls, and canals, cutting off plastic inflow before it fragments into micro‑sized shards that are far harder to retrieve at sea.

At the household level, point‑of‑use steps round out the defense. Boiling tap water followed by simple cartridge filtration precipitates calcium carbonate that traps up to 90 percent of micro‑ and nanoplastics, while certified home filters—including 0.1‑micron hollow‑fiber units, reverse‑osmosis systems, and some countertop gravity filters—block 99 percent or more of particles. Avoiding synthetic‑fiber lint by using laundry bags or washing machines with built‑in microfilter traps, choosing PFAS‑ and plastic‑free products, and vacuuming with HEPA filters further reduce indoor exposure. 

Ultimately, no single technology can solve microplastic pollution alone. Success depends on integrating upstream solutions—product redesign, extended‑producer responsibility, and robust waste management—with end‑of‑pipe capture and post‑release cleanup. The most effective removal programs pair incremental upgrades that can be implemented immediately with investment in breakthrough techniques poised to scale, creating a comprehensive barrier that keeps plastics out of ecosystems and, eventually, out of our bodies.