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A Latest Review on Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Aquatic Environment: The Comparative Impact of Size on Environmental Behavior and Toxic Effect

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 2024 16 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Ling Liu, Ren-Yan Du, Linjing Niu, Ping Li, Zhi‐Hua Li

Summary

This review compares how micro-sized and nano-sized plastic particles behave differently in water environments and affect aquatic organisms. Smaller nanoplastics are generally more harmful because they can cross biological barriers, enter cells, and accumulate in tissues more readily than larger microplastics. The size-dependent differences in toxicity highlighted in this review are important for understanding which plastic particles pose the greatest risk to human health through contaminated water and seafood.

Micro and nanoplastics (MNPs) have attracted growing global research attention due to their distinct environmental impacts, addressing escalating concerns. The diverse materials, sizes, and shapes of MNPs result in a range of environmental impacts. Size, a crucial characteristic of MNPs, influences their environmental behavior, affecting processes like migration, sedimentation, aggregation, and adsorption. Moreover, size modulates the biodistribution and toxicity of MNPs in aquatic organisms. This review delves into the comprehensive impacts of plastic size, with a primary focus on environmental behavior and toxic effects. Ultimately, this review emphasizes the ecological implications of MNP size, laying a foundation for future research in this field.

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