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Microplastics: The imperative influencer in blueprint of blue economy

Journal of Environmental Management 2024 12 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Abha R. Gupta, Aishee Ghosh, Anu Yadav, Apoorv Kirti, Sudakshya S. Lenka, Snehasmita Jena, Snehasmita Jena, Utsa Saha, Shaikh Sheeran Naser, Aditya Nandi, Adrija Sinha, Mrutyunjay Suar, Nagendra Kumar Kaushik, Vishakha Raina, Suresh K. Verma

Summary

This review examines how microplastic pollution threatens the blue economy, which includes industries that depend on healthy oceans such as fishing, tourism, and shipping. Microplastics reduce seafood quality, damage coastal environments that attract tourists, and increase costs for marine industries through equipment fouling and contamination. The authors call for coordinated global action among governments, businesses, and researchers to address microplastic pollution before it causes further economic and health damage.

Study Type Environmental

The burgeoning issue of microplastic pollution in marine ecosystems has emerged as a significant concern, presently multifaceted difficulty to the sustainability and prosperity of the blue economy. This review examines the intricate link between microplastics (MPs) and the blue economy (BE), exploring how microplastics infiltrate marine environments, their persistence, and their impacts on economic activities reliant on healthy oceans in a global scenario. Diminished seafood quality and quantity, degraded coastal aesthetics affecting tourism revenues, and increased operational costs due to fouling and contamination are among the economic repercussions identified. Additionally, the review discusses the potential long-term consequences on human health and food security, emphasizing the urgency for proactive mitigation measures and policy interventions in the global scenario. The study highlights the interconnectedness of the blue economy and environmental health, prompting a comprehensive strategy to mitigate microplastic pollution. It calls for collaborative efforts among stakeholders, including policymakers, industries, academia, and civil society, to develop innovative strategies for combating microplastic pollution and promoting sustainable blue economic practices. In conclusion, the review stresses the pressing need for concerted action to address microplastic threats to the blue economy, recommending science-based policies, technological innovations, and public awareness campaigns to protect marine ecosystems and ensure the resilience and prosperity of ocean-dependent economic activities.

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