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Microplastics and their environmental effects
Summary
This review provides a broad overview of microplastic pollution across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, from tropical to polar regions. Researchers note that while data on microplastic occurrence has grown significantly, there remains a shortage of experimental evidence on uptake, accumulation, and toxicological effects in organisms. The study calls for standardized methods and more research to better predict environmental exposure hotspots and health risks.
Microplastics (MPs) are acknowledged as emerging contaminants that pose a substantial threat to the environment. The adverse impacts of MP pollution extend across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, covering regions from the Tropics to the Poles. Although our comprehension of MP behavior has progressed in recent years, it is still difficult to predict exposure hotspots or exposure scenarios. Despite a noteworthy increase in data concerning MP occurrence in different environmental compartments and species, there is a noticeable scarcity of experimental data on MP uptake, accumulation, and effects. This Virtual Special Issue (VSI) received a total of 19 contributions from 11 countries, with a significant majority originating from Italy, India, Spain, and China. These contributions were categorized into three main themes: the occurrence and effects of MPs on aquatic and terrestrial organisms, the presence of chemical additives in plastics, and review articles summarizing previously published research on MPs.