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A comprehensive review of the impact of microplastics on aquatic organisms: From ingestion to ecological consequences
Summary
This comprehensive review assessed the impacts of microplastics on diverse aquatic organisms—including fish, marine mammals, mollusks, crustaceans, and microorganisms—from ingestion through ecological-level consequences. The authors found that microplastics cause physical injury, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and behavioral changes across taxa, with downstream effects on food web structure and ecosystem function.
The presence of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments has become a major environmental concern due to their adverse effects on a wide range of aquatic organisms, including vertebrates (e.g., fish and marine mammals), invertebrates (e.g., mollusks and arthropods), and microorganisms such as bacteria and algae. Owing to their small size (<5 mm), MPs can penetrate biological membranes, interfere with cellular metabolic pathways, and induce various toxic effects. This review discusses the major sources of MPs, their pathways of distribution within aquatic systems, and their biological impacts. The objective of this work is to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the scientific literature addressing the ecological consequences of MP exposure across different aquatic taxa.