Effect of Microfiber Pollutants in Freshwater Ecosystems

The tiny size of microplastics (less than 5 mm) are termed as microfibers, which are noxious wastes, emerging environmental contaminants, and harmful to aquatic organisms. Microfibers are abundant in nature and possess a great tendency of interacting with the ecosystem leading to the disruption of biogenic fauna and flora. Of the world’s water resources, only 3% is freshwater such as ponds, canals, water reservoirs, rivers, lakes, ice caps, glaciers, streams, and water vapor in the troposphere. Natural textile microfibers in the freshwater ecosystem are the predominant fibers. The unintentional consumption of the microplastic as food by freshwater organisms is highly fatal to them and is a pathway of entering food webs. Microfibers vary in density, toxicity, and colour, depending upon the nature of the polymeric material. Recent studies reveal that microplastic fibers are the cause of many adverse impacts on aquatic organisms, such as tissue damage, growth impairment, diseases, and even mortality. The microfibers initially enter the primary producer level within food chains such as phytoplankton in freshwater ecosystems and then subsequently enter higher trophic levels, ultimately affecting aquatic flora and fauna and human health. Although, awareness regarding the toxic impact of microfibers in freshwater ecosystems has increased strongly during the last few decades, it is still not satisfactory.