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The Abundance of Microplastics in the World’s Oceans: A Systematic Review
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This systematic review analyzed 73 studies and found microplastics present in surface waters of all five oceans, with concentrations ranging from 0.002 to 62.5 particles per cubic meter. The Atlantic Ocean had the highest levels. The widespread presence of microplastics in our oceans means they are entering marine food chains that eventually reach our dinner plates.
Microplastics are ubiquitous in marine environments and have been documented across all ocean compartments, especially surface waters, across the world. Even though several studies identify the presence of microplastics in the world’s five oceans, there remains an overt problem of large inconsistencies in their sampling, extraction, and consequent quantification. Despite the complexity of these methodologies, researchers have tried to explore microplastic abundance in ocean surface waters. Using a systematic review approach, a dataset was derived from 73 primary studies undertaken since the year 2010 following the Oslo and Paris Conventions (OSPAR) guidelines to monitor and harmonise marine debris. The results showed differences in the abundance and distribution of microplastics in surface waters across oceans. The overall concentration of microplastics in all five oceans ranged between 0.002 and 62.50 items/m3, with a mean abundance of 2.76 items/m3. The highest mean concentration of microplastics was found in the Atlantic (4.98 items/m3), while the least was observed in the Southern Ocean (0.04 items/m3). While challenging, this paper recommends harmonisation of the sampling, separation, and identification methods across the globe to aid in the design of the appropriate mitigation strategies for reducing marine plastic pollution.
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This review summarizes existing research on microplastic pollution in the world's oceans, covering where microplastics come from, how abundant they are, and their harmful effects on marine life from tiny plankton to sea turtles and seabirds. Microplastics have been found in organisms at every level of the ocean food chain, with the most common types being polyethylene and polypropylene fragments and fibers. The widespread contamination of marine life raises direct concerns for human health, since many of these organisms end up as seafood on our plates.
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