We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Effect of Microplastics on Marine Ecosystems
Summary
This chapter reviews how large plastic waste flowing into oceans breaks down into microplastics under sunlight and wave action, and how those particles travel through marine food webs. Ingested microplastics can cause cellular damage, tissue injury, and hormonal disruption in marine organisms, and the same particles can ultimately reach humans who eat seafood. The chapter also discusses the economic threat microplastic contamination poses to the aquaculture industry.
The ocean is the center of global river convergence, and the world’s rivers will carry nutrients, inorganic salts, and garbage into the ocean. However, large plastic waste and plastic particles will eventually flow into the ocean and be deposited, posing a threat to marine life and the environment. It is found that large plastic garbage can be found along the coasts of various sea areas such as Taiwan and Japan. These plastic wastes will be decomposed into microplastics smaller than 5 mm due to the erosion of sunlight, seawater, and waves. Microplastics will enter marine organisms through the food chain, which may cause cytopathic, tissue damage, and endocrine disorders. These microplastics remaining in marine organisms will be transferred to the human body due to the factors of the food chain. Therefore, in addition to the threat to marine organisms, microplastics may also affect human health. The harm of microplastics will be one of the most important issues for the impact on the marine environment. This chapter will discuss the harm and impact of microplastics on marine life and also discuss the economic threats to the aquaculture industry.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
The Effects of Ocean Plastic Pollution on Marine Ecology
This review describes how plastic waste accumulates in the oceans, breaks down into microplastics under sunlight and saltwater, and enters food chains as fish and shellfish mistake particles for food. It summarises the scale of the problem — plastic makes up roughly 70% of ocean pollutants and is linked to the deaths of millions of seabirds and marine animals annually. The paper serves as a broad overview of how ocean plastic pollution threatens marine ecology and, through seafood consumption, human health.
Microplastic pollution in the marine environment: Sources, impacts, and degradation.
This review summarizes existing research on microplastic pollution in the ocean, covering sources, effects on marine life, and degradation. Microplastics harm marine organisms across the food chain, from plankton to fish, affecting their growth, reproduction, immune systems, and behavior. Since humans consume many of these marine species, the widespread contamination raises concerns about microplastic exposure through seafood.
Microplastics as contaminants in marine environment.
This review summarizes the sources, distribution, and environmental impacts of microplastics in the marine environment, covering how they enter the ocean, where they accumulate, and what harms they cause to marine organisms. It also discusses the potential for microplastics to transfer up the food chain to humans through seafood.
Marine microplastics
This review discusses the devastating effects of marine microplastics on ocean ecosystems, covering physical harm to organisms, chemical contamination, and ecological disruption across trophic levels. It serves as an accessible summary for communicating the scale and severity of the marine microplastic pollution problem.
Impact of microplastics pollution on human health and aquatic life: a review
This review summarizes how microplastics enter the environment from sources like plastic pellets, cosmetics, and the breakdown of larger plastics through UV light and weathering. Researchers describe how these tiny particles accumulate in oceans primarily from land-based human activities and transfer through the food chain from one organism to another. Evidence indicates that microplastic exposure in aquatic organisms can cause tissue damage, oxidative stress, and disruptions to normal biological processes.