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Microplastics in the aquatic environment: A look at kinetics, degradation mechanisms, environmental impact, and effects on human health
Original title: Los microplásticos en el entorno acuático: Un vistazo a la cinética, mecanismo de degradación, impacto ambiental y en la salud humana
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This Spanish-language review examines how microplastics enter aquatic ecosystems, how they degrade over time, and what their environmental and human health effects may be. The authors report that microplastics have now reached even pristine environments like the polar regions, and that their ingestion by diverse organisms raises serious questions about long-term ecosystem health. The review highlights the urgent need for better understanding of microplastic toxicity and fate in water bodies.
Desde su origen en la década de los años 50’s, los plásticos se han convertido en un material omnipresente en la vida diaria de nuestras sociedades. A pesar de su amplia gama de usos, la lenta degradación de estos materiales en el ambiente ha ocasionado un problema de contaminación emergente de consecuencias aún desconocidas. El objetivo de esta revisión es el de evaluar el impacto que ha tenido la introducción de los microplásticos en nuestros ecosistemas. Reportes recientes indican que la presencia de microplásticos se ha extendido hasta ambientes prístinos como los polos del planeta. La degradación de los materiales plásticos, en partículas de menor tamaño llamados microplásticos cuando su diámetro es menor a 5 mm y su ingesta por organismos diversos plantea la pregunta de cuál es el efecto a largo plazo en la salud de los ecosistemas. Efectos adversos en el metabolismo de microorganismos, peces y en el ser humano han sido ampliamente documentados. Igualmente, se ha reportado la capacidad de estas partículas de movilizar contaminantes ambientales como metales pesados, hidrocarburos, e incluso virus. Entre estos efectos adversos se incluyen alteraciones metabólicas, formación de especies reactivas de oxígeno y modificación de procesos inflamatorios. Podemos concluir que la presencia de las partículas de microplásticos están presentes en diversos nichos de los ecosistemas terrestres y que su degradación introduce compuestos químicos potencialmente disruptivos en ellos. Por lo que entender el origen, transformación, rol en el transporte y liberación de contaminantes en el ambiente nos permitirá diseñar estrategias para minimizarlos.
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