Microplastics

Microplastics come mainly from the degradation of larger plastics, but can also be produced directly. Although research on microplastics is relatively recent, numerous studies have been carried out around the world, reporting contamination in many marine species. However, these studies have been conducted with different protocols, with information reported that is not equivalent from one publication to another. Microplastics have the capacity to vectorize chemical contaminants by the adsorption of polluting substances present in the environment. Management of contamination due to the work environment is a primary control focus for the study of microplastics. The toxicological impact via the intake of microplastics in food has been clearly demonstrated for some organisms such as fish, oysters, marine worms, mice, clams and crabs by actions on their development, metabolism or reproduction. The search for microplastics, regardless of the matrix considered, is relatively recent, leading to the absence of a harmonized method for obtaining comparable data.