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An overview on the production, management and impact of microplastic contamination on marine species and marine environments: A review
Summary
This review evaluated published research on the production, management, and impact of microplastic contamination on marine species and environments. The study found that global plastic production continues to increase, with microplastics accumulating in the gastrointestinal tracts and muscles of fish across at least 61 species from 30 families. The review highlights the urgent need for better waste management strategies to protect marine ecosystems.
The purpose of this paper is to review and evaluate published literature on the production, management and impact of microplastic contamination on marine species and marine environments. A systematic method was utilized to access research works of literature on “production, management and impact of microplastic contamination on marine species and marine environments”. A total of Sixty-two (62) research papers published between the years 1972 to 2022 was accumulated and used for this review. A subjective approach was used to select the topics: production, management and impact of microplastic contamination. In this paper, four (4) effects of microplastics on organisms and the environment was assessed. Additionally, the formation and classification of microplastics were evaluated. Subsequently, the paper delves into the production and the management of global plastic production as well as the sources of contamination. Further, this review assessed the quantity of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract and edible muscles of various fish species. A mini checklist of sixty-one (61) fish species from thirty (30) families dwelling in nine (9) different marine habitats, all contaminated by microplastics was also presented in this review. Moreover, possible solutions to overcome the impact of microplastics on organisms and aquatic environments were also mentioned in this article. The published works of literature established that the global plastic production is constantly increasing with a growing world population thus leading to mismanagement of plastic resources and introducing them to the environment. Microplastics can cause serious complications in humans, marine organisms such as fishes, crustaceans, marine mammals and sea birds and even contribute to the degradation of mangrove forests and the coastal environment. This review highlights the fact that more extensive studies on the impact of microplastic contamination in organisms and the environment should be done in neotropical countries since there is a dearth and gaps of such information on research and published data in these biodiversity rich regions.
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