0
Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Detection Methods Environmental Sources Human Health Effects Marine & Wildlife Sign in to save

Microplastic Pollution: Fate, Sources, Transport and Identification

2023 4 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Samuel Igwe, Charles German Ikimi, Olufunso O. Abosede

Summary

This review summarizes the sources, fate, transport, and identification methods for microplastics in aquatic and terrestrial environments, highlighting their global distribution across all ecosystems and the growing concern for their impacts on marine life, other organisms, and human health.

The environment, both aquatic and terrestrial, is highly polluted with microplastics which are found everywhere across the ecosystem. Microplastics, particles of plastic with a diameter lesser than 5 mm, have become of global environmental concern because they can be transported to far distances and end up in the ecosystems and cause harms to marine life as well as a range of other living things including algae, zooplankton, fish, crabs, sea turtles, birds and human health. The increasing concentration and negative impacts of microplastics on environment and health are further exacerbated by their non-biodegradable nature and has made microplastics to attract attention. In this review, we highlight the sources and fate of microplastics in the environment as well as their transport and methods (destructive and non-destructive) of identification.

Share this paper