Background: Studies have confirmed the ubiquitous presence of microplastics in every environmental compartment, and their number is rising year by year. Despite the fact that important efforts are being made in many countries to try to reduce microplastics contamination, it is very likely that their presence will continue to increase since plastic degradation is a long-term procedure. Current scientific data in this field is only the tip of a huge iceberg in which hand in hand research with scientists of different disciplines is absolutely necessary to draw a clear map of their origin, transport dynamics, distribution and effects.

Methods: A brief overview (perspective article) of current research topics on microplastics, the problems that they must face as well as those gaps that should be solved in the future are reviewed.

Results: Standardized and validated methodologies for microplastics quantification and identification are needed. The analysis of organic and inorganic contaminants retained onto microplastics is also a key issue. The study of the presence, behavior, and fate of microplastics in the environment (in all the environmental compartments), as well as the toxicity and dietary exposure studies, are also extremely necessary.

Conclusion: A better understanding of the concentration, source, and hazards of microplastics in every environmental compartment is still needed, especially in the terrestrial environment and atmosphere. There is also the need of applying harmonized and validated analytical methodologies to provide feasible results and to allow a suitable comparison.

背景：研究证实微塑料在每个环境隔间中无处不在，并且其数量逐年增加。尽管许多国家正在努力减少微塑料污染，但由于塑料降解是一个长期过程，因此它们的存在很可能会继续增加。目前该领域的科学数据只是巨大冰山一角，绝对有必要与不同学科的科学家携手合作，绘制出清晰的起源、传输动力学、分布和影响图。

方法：对当前微塑料研究课题的简要概述（透视文章），其必须面临的问题以及未来应解决的差距进行了回顾。

结果：需要用于微塑料量化和识别的标准化和经过验证的方法。分析保留在微塑料上的有机和无机污染物也是一个关键问题。研究微塑料在环境中（在所有环境隔间中）的存在、行为和归宿，以及毒性和膳食暴露研究，也是非常必要的。

结论：仍然需要更好地了解每个环境隔间中微塑料的浓度、来源和危害，尤其是在陆地环境和大气中。还需要应用统一和经过验证的分析方法，以提供可行的结果并进行适当的比较。