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Micro/nanoplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: An Integrated Review of Occurrence, Toxicological Implications, Case Studies, Methodologies, and Future Recommendations
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This integrated review covers the occurrence, toxicology, and detection of micro- and nanoplastics across freshwater, marine, and estuarine ecosystems, using case studies to illustrate biomagnification through aquatic food webs and the compounding risk from co-occurring chemical contaminants. The review calls for stronger international collaboration and policy frameworks grounded in scientific evidence, recognizing that the pervasive nature of micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic systems poses escalating risks to both ecosystem integrity and human health.
Micro/nanoplastics, tiny fragments smaller than 5 mm, have emerged as significant pollutants in aquatic ecosystems across the globe. This comprehensive review delves into the multifaceted dimensions of micro/nanoplastic pollution in aquatic habitats, offering insights into its sources, distribution patterns, and the toxicological repercussions it fosters. An alarming finding highlights that these minute particles, often overlooked, are ubiquitous across freshwater, marine, and estuarine environments, posing threats to aquatic flora and fauna. Detailed case studies provide real-world evidence of the damage micro/nanoplastic inflict, emphasizing their insidious nature and potential for biomagnification in aquatic food webs. Accompanying these particles, the associated chemical contaminants further exacerbate the environmental harm. This review also sheds light on the advanced methodologies employed for the detection and analysis of these plastic fragments, ranging from innovative sampling techniques to in vivo, in vitro, and in silico toxicological evaluations. However, with the escalating challenges presented by micro/nanoplastic pollution, it is imperative to look beyond the present. Our recommendations for the future hinge on robust research endeavors, policy-making fortified by scientific insights, and a collaborative global approach to mitigate the looming crisis. This review aims to be a cornerstone for researchers, policymakers, and environmentalists, offering a panoramic view of the current state, challenges, and prospective strategies concerning micro/nanoplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems.
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This review maps how micro- and nanoplastics travel between soil, water, and air, accumulate in food chains, and affect living organisms, while also examining mitigation strategies including microbial degradation and better waste management. Understanding these interconnected pathways is critical because plastics carry toxic chemical additives that amplify their health risks as they move through ecosystems.
Micro and Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environment
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This book chapter reviews how advances in polymer science over the past century and a half have made plastics ubiquitous, and how that has led to escalating micro- and nanoplastic contamination of aquatic environments worldwide. Understanding the origins and environmental behavior of these particles is foundational to assessing the risks they pose to aquatic life and human health.
Occurrence and Ecotoxicological Effects of Microplastics on Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics — now present in the water we drink, the food we eat, and the air we breathe — accumulate in and harm both aquatic and land-based ecosystems, highlighting the broad reach of plastic pollution as a threat to wildlife and potentially to human health.
Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Challenges and Threats to Aquatic Organisms
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Micro- and nanoplastics have been detected across a wide range of aquatic organisms from microalgae to fish, disrupting metabolic, physiological, and behavioral processes at both cellular and ecosystem levels. Their persistence and increasing abundance in oceans make them a growing food safety threat as plastic contamination moves up the aquatic food chain toward human consumption.
Microplastics in Aquatic Systems: Sources, Accumulation, Environmental Impact and Mitigation Strategies
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This review synthesizes how microplastics enter aquatic ecosystems, where they accumulate, and what harm they cause to wildlife and water quality — while also evaluating mitigation strategies, highlighting that both primary sources like microbeads and secondary sources like degrading plastic waste need to be addressed.
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