We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Environmental risks of microplastics: A Review of their distribution and effects on aquatic ecosystems
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examined how microplastics threaten aquatic ecosystems through direct physical and chemical stress on organisms and through synergistic interactions with co-contaminants that disrupt food webs. The authors identify key research gaps including realistic multi-stressor experiments and long-term ecosystem-level studies.
Microplastics, as globally emerging pollutants, threaten aquatic ecosystems through dual mechanisms: (1) exerting direct physicochemical stress on organisms, and (2) interacting synergistically with co-existing pollutants, ultimately disrupting food web integrity and jeopardizing both ecological security and human health. However, research on the ecological risks of microplastics faces important gaps: first, experimental conditions differ significantly from real environmental conditions, making it difficult to accurately simulate chronic low-dose exposure scenarios; second, cross-scale risk assessments from the molecular to the ecosystem level are lacking. This severely hinders the accurate understanding and effective management of microplastic risks in aquaculture systems. Based on this, this study systematically integrates the cross-scale mechanisms of microplastic impacts on aquatic organisms, focusing on their environmental distribution, biological exposure pathways, and bioaccumulation characteristics to elucidate their toxic effects and ecological risks. The study reveals the “individual-community-system” cascade effect of microplastics on aquatic ecosystems, and then proposes standardized suggestions for risk assessment of microplastics in aquaculture, providing a theoretical basis and practical guidance for risk control of microplastics in both natural and aquaculture systems.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Review of Ecotoxicological Effects, Exposure Pathways and Trophic Transfer Risks
AI summary Read the abstract
This review synthesises evidence on the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics in marine, freshwater, and estuarine environments, covering ingestion, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, and physiological harms across aquatic fauna. It identifies chemical co-contamination and particle size as key modulators of toxicity.
A review of microplastics in the aquatic environmental: distribution, transport, ecotoxicology, and toxicological mechanisms
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how microplastics are distributed, transported, and accumulate throughout aquatic environments, and the toxicological effects they have on aquatic organisms. The study suggests that microplastics can affect human health through the food chain, but notes that understanding of combined toxicity mechanisms remains very limited. The authors identify significant knowledge gaps and call for more systematic environmental risk assessments across multiple species.
Environmental Impact of Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems, covering chemical, biological, and ecological processes beyond simple physical contamination and identifying priority areas for future research directions.
Toxicological review of micro- and nano-plastics in aquatic environments: Risks to ecosystems, food web dynamics and human health.
AI summary Read the abstract
This review synthesized evidence on the toxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic ecosystems, covering risks to individual organisms, disruptions to food web dynamics, and pathways through which plastic exposure poses risks to human health via seafood consumption.
Microplastic: A Silent Contaminant in Aquatic Ecosystems and Its Ecological Consequences
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines microplastics as a pervasive but underappreciated contaminant in aquatic ecosystems, synthesizing evidence on their sources, distribution, uptake pathways in aquatic organisms, and broader ecological consequences for freshwater and marine food webs.
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.