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Plastic pollution in the aquatic ecosystem: An emerging threat and its mechanisms
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This review summarizes existing research on small plastic particles, called microplastics, building up in rivers, lakes and oceans. Studies show these particles are eaten by many aquatic animals and can cause injuries, blocked digestive tracts and other harm, though the exact mechanisms remain unclear, especially for freshwater species.
Abstract The accumulation of plastic substances in the aquatic ecosystem is a threat that should not be underestimated. Smaller plastic pieces, such as microplastics and nanoplastics, are of particular concern since their presence in the food web is persistent. Microplastics enter in the food chain and its very bottom, when aquatic organisms eat or ingest contaminated food materials, and keep being transferred in the next food web such as predators including humans. It is evident that aquatic organisms frequently ingest microplastics across a variety of feeding guilds. Marine organisms may cause shock, inner or outer injuries, ulcerating sores, blocking digestive tracts, fake feelings, degraded feeding capabilities, fatigue, weakness, limited predator prevention, or death due to the ingestion of large plastic material and/or particles. However, effects of microplastic particles on marine organisms and the toxicity mechanisms are largely unknown. There is much more limited evidence of the impacts of microplastics intake on freshwater species, both in the limited number of studies performed and the number of species examined. However, a few recent freshwater investigations imply that the physical impacts are similar to those observed in the sea. As a result, we conducted a brief evaluation of the state of the science in order to identify knowledge gaps and research requirements to examine the impacts of microplastics on aquatic ecosystem. To yet, just a few researches have looked at the biological consequences of plastics on aquatic organisms, and the important transport pathways of plastics from freshwater to marine environments and vice-versa.
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Plastic Pollution is a Serious Menace to Ecosystem Health with Special Reference to Aquatic Ecosystems and its Associated Challenges, Opportunities, and Mitigations
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This review examines how plastic pollution, including microplastics, threatens aquatic ecosystem health, affecting fish, birds, and mammals through ingestion, entanglement, and chemical exposure. Researchers highlighted that our understanding of microplastic dynamics — their release, retention, accumulation, and transfer across ecosystems — remains limited. The study calls for more research into the long-term ecological consequences of microplastic contamination in aquatic environments.
Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Critical Review of Sources, Transport Mechanisms and Ecotoxicological Risks
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This review provides a broad overview of microplastic pollution in rivers, oceans, and other aquatic environments, covering where these particles come from, how they move through water systems, and the harm they can cause. Evidence indicates that microplastics accumulate toxins and disrupt growth, feeding, and reproduction in aquatic species, with potential consequences for human health through seafood and drinking water. The authors stress the need for better global monitoring, stronger waste management systems, and development of eco-friendly plastic alternatives.
The Harmful Effects of Microplastic Pollution on Aquatic Organisms
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This review summarized evidence on the harmful effects of microplastic pollution on aquatic organisms in both marine and freshwater environments, covering ingestion, entanglement, and chemical toxicity pathways. The paper highlighted how the lightweight, durable, and widespread nature of plastics makes them a pervasive threat to aquatic biodiversity.
Plastic pollution in the aquatic ecosystem: an emerging threat need to be tackled
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This review summarizes the growing threat of plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems, with a focus on how microplastics and nanoplastics enter food webs starting at the lowest levels. The authors highlight the persistence of these particles and call for coordinated action to reduce plastic inputs to water bodies.
Microplastic contamination, an emerging threat to the freshwater environment: a systematic review
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Researchers systematically reviewed the spread of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems — rivers, lakes, and streams — documenting their sources, how they move through water, the damage they cause to aquatic organisms, and the methods used to detect them. Their review serves as a baseline reference for future research and calls for improved waste management to protect freshwater environments from ongoing microplastic contamination.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.