Ecological Impacts of Microplastics in Coastal Environment

Microplastics (MPs) are a worldwide persistent insoluble micropollutant that significantly threatens the marine environment. Their ubiquitous presence has induced many adverse ecological impacts on the coastal and marine environments. Plastic particles that are less than 5 mm in size are termed MPs. Their small size and higher concentrations in the water surface and sediments have made them available for active and passive ingestion specially during foraging activities. MPs have affected marine biota, such as marine birds, mammals, turtles, fish, and mollusks to sensitive ecosystems such as coral reefs and algae communities, reducing biodiversity and altering the community structure of organisms in their natural habitats. Almost all the marine food sources, from shellfish to finfish, are contaminated with MPs. The toxic chemicals that MPs adsorb from the surrounding environment may lead to bioaccumulate along the food chains. Thus, impact food webs. The presence of MPs in food induces health implications in organisms, including humans, by leaching adhered toxicants into the body tissues. MPs present in coastal environment have to be managed, since their contamination will eventually lead to the bioconcentration of MPs in different trophic levels and will lead into biomagnification MP adsorbed toxic substances.