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Microplastics in the food chain
Summary
This review examines how microplastics enter and move through the food chain, posing risks to animal health, human wellness, and ecosystems. Researchers found that microplastic contamination has been extensively studied in aquatic environments and marine species, but significant knowledge gaps remain regarding their accumulation and impacts in agricultural soils and plant systems. The study calls for more research on soil microplastic contamination to reduce food chain hazards.
At the moment, microplastics are a common pollution that is found in nearly every area of the environment. Microplastics (MPs) are regarded as a potentially harmful ecological contaminant and growing concern. The food chain, human wellness, and the health of animals are all at risk due to this kind of pollution. Research on the presence of MPs in aquatic creatures and the marine environment, their transfer of trophic levels across the food chain, and the recognition of seafood animals as appropriate biomarkers have taken precedence. It is necessary to conduct more research to determine the presence of plastic particles in the ocean’s food web, their long-lasting effects on humans and animals, and the potential health consequences. Further study is needed to understand plastic particles' dispersion and environmental impacts in agricultural soil, even though their buildup and demise in aquatic environments have been extensively investigated. There needs to be more knowledge on the forms, transport, breakdown, and accumulation of MPs in soil, animal, and plant systems, as well as the hazards they pose to the setting, food chain, and public health. As a result, the study also made the case for the significance of studying soil MP contamination and treatment to reduce environmental and food chain hazards.
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