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Occurrence, transport, and toxicity of microplastics in tropical food chains: perspectives view and way forward
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This systematic review of 206 publications found that microplastics move through both aquatic and terrestrial food chains, accumulating as they transfer from lower to higher trophic levels. The interactions between microorganisms and microplastics facilitate the transport of associated pollutants like heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants to top predators, including humans who consume contaminated food.
Microplastics, which have a diameter of less than 5 mm, are becoming an increasingly prevalent contaminant in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems due to the dramatic increase in plastic production to 390.7 million tonnes in 2021. Among all the plastics produced since 1950, nearly 80% ended up in the environment or landfills and eventually reached the oceans. Currently, 82-358 trillion plastic particles, equivalent to 1.1-4.9 million tonnes by weight, are floating on the ocean's surface. The interactions between microorganisms and microplastics have led to the transportation of other associated pollutants to higher trophic levels of the food chain, where microplastics eventually reach plants, animals, and top predators. This review paper focuses on the interactions and origins of microplastics in diverse environmental compartments that involve terrestrial and aquatic food chains. The present review study also critically discusses the toxicity potential of microplastics in the food chain. This systematic review critically identified 206 publications from 2010 to 2022, specifically reported on microplastic transport and ecotoxicological impact in aquatic and terrestrial food chains. Based on the ScienceDirect database, the total number of studies with "microplastic" as the keyword in their title increased from 75 to 4813 between 2010 and 2022. Furthermore, various contaminants are discussed, including how microplastics act as a vector to reach organisms after ingestion. This review paper would provide useful perspectives in comprehending the possible effects of microplastics and associated contaminants from primary producers to the highest trophic level (i.e. human health).
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Trophic transfer of microplastics and mixed contaminants in the marine food web and implications for human health
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This review examines how microplastics and the chemicals they carry transfer through marine food webs from lower to higher trophic levels, and what this means for human health given that people consume marine fish and seafood. It identifies microplastics as a vector for bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in ways that ultimately reach humans.
A Summary of the Transporting Mechanism of Microplastics in Marine Food Chain and its Effects to Humans
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This review summarized how microplastics are transported through marine food chains from plankton to fish to humans, detailing toxic effects at each trophic level and outlining mitigation strategies to reduce ecological and human health risks from oceanic plastic pollution.
A review of microplastics in the aquatic environmental: distribution, transport, ecotoxicology, and toxicological mechanisms
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This review examines how microplastics are distributed, transported, and accumulate throughout aquatic environments, and the toxicological effects they have on aquatic organisms. The study suggests that microplastics can affect human health through the food chain, but notes that understanding of combined toxicity mechanisms remains very limited. The authors identify significant knowledge gaps and call for more systematic environmental risk assessments across multiple species.
Microplastics and Their Impacts on Organisms and Trophic Chains
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This review synthesizes current knowledge on microplastic pollution, examining the mechanisms by which microplastics affect organisms at multiple levels of biological organization and how plastic particles transfer through trophic chains, accumulating and potentially magnifying in concentration up the food web. Researchers highlight evidence for physical, chemical, and microbial impacts on organisms ranging from invertebrates to mammals, including humans, and identify priority areas for future ecotoxicological research.
Trophic transfer of microplastics and mixed contaminants in the marine food web and implications for human health
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This review examines how microplastics move through marine food webs via trophic transfer and carry chemical contaminants that can accumulate in higher predators, including humans. Researchers found that microplastics readily sorb pollutants from surrounding waters and release them after being ingested by organisms, potentially amplifying toxic effects at each level of the food chain. The study underscores the need for more research on bioaccumulation factors and the implications of seafood-mediated microplastic exposure for human health.
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