Pollution of Freshwater Ecosystems by Microplastics: A Short Review on Degradation, Distribution, and Interaction with Aquatic Biota

Plastic pollution of freshwater environments, particularly microplastic (MP), is a global ecological issue of growing scientific concern. This has sparked a flurry of studies on the presence of MP, its interactions with chemical pollutants, its uptake by aquatic species, and the ensuing (bad) impact. The primary objective of this article is to 1) show the distribution of MPs in freshwater environments, 2) display the interactions between MPs and heavy metals in freshwater ecosystems, and 3) to summarize the existing literature on MPs uptake by aquatic organisms and their impacts.