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An overview of microplastic in marine waters: Sources, abundance, characteristics and negative effects on various marine organisms
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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.
In this study, the literature has been reviewed for the following purposes: (1) to summarize land-based and marine-based sources of microplastics (MPs) in the marine environment, (2) to evaluate the abundance of MPs in marine waters and factors affecting MP abundance in marine waters, (3) to review the general polymer types, shapes, sizes and colors of MPs in marine waters and to determine the dominant characteristics of MPs in marine waters, (4) to reveal the negative effects of MPs on various marine organisms (phytoplankton, zooplankton, corals, fish, sea turtles, seabirds). This present review provides an overview of the sources, abundance, and characteristics of MPs in the marine environment, which may guide future marine plastic/MP pollution management strategies and the improvement of MP removal methods from marine waters. Additionally, this review highlights the presence of MPs in various organism in the marine environment and the negative effects of MPs on marine organisms.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.