Ocean Pollution by Microplastics: Sources, Impacts and Global Challenges

Summary

This review paper pulls together existing research on tiny plastic particles (microplastics) that are polluting our oceans, looking at where they come from and what damage they cause. These plastics come from things like broken-down bottles, synthetic clothing fibers, and cosmetic products, and they're now found throughout the marine food chain—meaning they end up in the seafood many of us eat. While scientists are still studying exactly how this affects human health, this pollution matters because it's a growing, largely invisible problem that connects ocean health directly to what ends up on our plates.