We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
From ocean to table: marine contaminants and their risks to human health and biodiversity
Summary
This review synthesized current knowledge on marine pollutants—including microplastics, heavy metals, POPs, and pathogenic microorganisms—their ocean transport pathways, trophic transfer up food chains, and risks to human health through seafood consumption. The authors found that plastic-associated chemical contaminants are now detectable in commercially important seafood species globally, with implications for food safety regulations.
Marine ecosystems are increasingly threatened by human-made pollutants such as microplastics (MPs), heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and pathogenic microorganisms. These contaminants endanger biodiversity, disrupt ecosystem functions, and compromise seafood safety. This review synthesized current knowledge on pollutant sources, environmental transport, and trophic transfer, emphasizing their accumulation and magnification through marine food webs and ultimately in humans. Quantitative evidence-such as MP loads of 0.2-5 particles g in bivalves and MeHg concentrations of 0.3-1.5 ppm in predatory fish-illustrates the scale of exposure across trophic levels. Ecotoxicological impacts include endocrine disruption, reproductive impairment, immune suppression, and neurobehavioral alterations, with case studies documenting coral bleaching, shellfish larval mortality, and predator-prey destabilization. Human health risks arise from long-term dietary exposure to MeHg, PCBs, phthalates, and microbial toxins, contributing to neurodevelopmental deficits, carcinogenesis, metabolic disorders, and microbiome-mediated toxicity-defined as pollutant-driven alterations in gut microbial communities that impair immunity and metabolic regulation. The novelty of this review lies in its integration of region-specific contaminant datasets, multi-stressor interaction pathways, and emerging mechanistic biomarkers, offering a systems-level perspective on marine pollution. Despite regulatory progress, gaps remain in enforcement, monitoring, and multi-contaminant risk assessment. Research priorities include multigenerational exposure studies, standardized analytical workflows, and improved detection of emerging hazards such as nanoplastics. Advances in high-resolution metabolomics, AI-based exposure diagnostics, and gnotobiotic models provide promising tools for future research. A holistic strategy combining technological innovation, coordinated policy, and community engagement is essential to safeguard the ocean-to-table continuum.