Primary microplastics are plastic particles that are manufactured at a size less than 5 mm. Some primary microplastics are intentionally designed as microbeads for use in cosmetics, such as exfoliating hand cleansers and facial scrubs. These are also used in cleaning agents because of their mild abrasive action. Microfibers from textile industry are another significant source of primary microplastics. They are defined as synthetic fibers of polyester, nylon, acrylic, and other synthetic textiles of diameter less than 10μm, approximately 1/100 th of the diameter of a human hair. Textiles release high levels of microfibers during manufacturing and wet processing stages like bleaching, dyeing, and finishing. Laundering of textiles is one of the major sources of microfiber release. This is due to the mechanical motion from the washing machine that causes the cloth to wear and release microfibers into the washing water. Secondary microplastics are formed from the breakdown of larger plastic particles. This type of microplastics are usually generated by chemical, physical, biological, thermal, photic, and other exposure of larger plastic debris. For example, small debris produced by the abrasion of vehicle tires on road surfaces are a major source of secondary microplastics. Other sources are particles released due to deterioration of paints, road markings, and marine coatings. Due to the variety of products that degrade into secondary microplastics their composition is highly variable. For example, polyester, acrylic, and polypropylene fibers are the major types of microplastic pollution generated by the textile industry in form of microfibers. Microplastics released from tire wear typically consist of natural rubber, styrenebutadiene rubber, polybutadiene rubber, and butyl rubber. Both types of microplastics can also contain chemical additives such as plasticizers, flame retardants, etc. For example, the plasticizer phthalate and flame retardant polybrominated biphenyls are common additives that can cause harmful biological effects such as carcinogenicity or disruption of the endocrine system. Humans are constantly inhaling and ingesting microplastics through air, water and food. The prevalence of microplastics in the environment is exponentially expanding not only to the ocean but also to freshwater sources, agricultural soil, and the air. These microplastic/microfibers enter the ocean from sewer discharges and wastewater treatment plants and are often mistaken for food by sea creatures. Through the food chain they can make their way into the human body. Microplastics have also been reported in other food and beverages such as table salt, honey, tea bags, and beer. One study estimated that an average adult is consuming 2000 microplastics per year just through the consumption of salt. Microplastics have also been found in drinking water. The average concentrations reported were 94 MPs/L for bottled water and 32 MPs/L for tap water. Regarding the size, it is reported that over 90% of the microplastics found in bottled water correspond to particles smaller than 5 μm, which are smaller than the mean 960 μm reported for tap water This demonstrates that water treatment plants are not completely effective in eliminating microplastics. The growing concern on how microplastics can affect all forms of life and ecosystems, as well as their consequences towards human health, has gathered a rising scientific interest. Using CAS comprehensive human-curated scientific data, this paper explores the research trends of this growing field via the analysis of academic and patent literature from 2011-2021 to understand the general progress of the field, as well as the classes of materials and concepts driving research and innovation. As a subject-matter expert curated database, the CAS Content Collection is utilized here for quantitative analysis of publications against variables including time, country/region, research area, and substance details. We hope that this paper serves as a broad, informative overview of the themes driving the scientific literature towards this potentially life altering issue.