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Chapter 15: Ecotoxicological Impacts of Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Aquatic Organisms
Original title: Chapter 15: Ecotoxicological Impacts Of MicroplasƟcs And NanoplasƟcs On AquaƟc Organisms
Summary
This review pulls together existing research on how microplastics (tiny plastic bits smaller than 5mm) and nanoplastics (even tinier plastic particles) are building up in our lakes, rivers, and oceans, and how they affect the fish, shellfish, and other creatures living there. Since these same plastic particles are increasingly found in seafood, drinking water, and the environment we depend on, understanding their impact on aquatic life is an important early step in figuring out what risks they might pose to human health down the line.
The rapid increase in global plastic production over the past few decades has resulted in a troubling buildup of plastic waste in our water bodies, which poses significant ecological and health risks. Among the various pollutants stemming from plastics, microplastics (MPs; less than 5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs; less than 1 µm) have become particularly concerning due to their tiny size, durability, and widespread presence in freshwater, estuarine, and marine environments (Cole et al., 2011; Galloway et al., 2017). These tiny particles can either be primary plastics, which are intentionally made at such small sizes (like cosmetic microbeads and industrial abrasives), or secondary plastics, which form when larger plastic items break down and weather due to physical, chemical, and biological processes (Andrady, 2011).