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Microplastics, their effects on ecosystems, and general strategies for mitigation of microplastics: A review of recent developments, challenges, and future prospects
Summary
This review covers the harmful effects of microplastics on human health, animals, and ecosystems, noting that people face risks including inflammation, toxic effects, and potential chronic disease from exposure. The paper also examines current strategies to reduce microplastic pollution, including better waste management and development of sustainable materials to replace conventional plastics.
Microplastics can be defined as tiny plastic particles usually smaller than 5 mm, which have become a significant environmental threat, impacting people, animals, and ecosystems. This review explores about the harmful effects of microplastics, highlighting the health risks to humans such as potential toxicity, inflammation and the risk of chronic diseases. In animals, microplastics can cause bioaccumulation, leading to the disruption of food chains and loss of biodiversity. Ecosystems, including soil microbiota and plant life, face ecological degradation, in presence of microplastics as it may affect the soil fertility, plant growth, and microbial health too. The review also examines the pathways of microplastics entry into the different ecosystems and also suggests some current mitigation strategies including policy interventions, development of sustainable materials, and enhanced waste management practices to reduce microplastic pollution and its harmful consequences.