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Microplastic Pollution in the Polar Oceans – A Review
Summary
Microplastic pollution has reached even the remote Arctic and Antarctic polar oceans, making it a truly global environmental problem. This review summarizes what is known about polar microplastic contamination, highlights a surge in plastic waste linked to COVID-19-era demand, and calls for more research on how these particles affect polar ecosystems.
Microplastic pollution is a global environmental threat. This problem is now the order of the day in everyone's eyes, leading to environmental and health challenges for the ecosystem. A plastic ban was implemented, but as the COVID-19 pandemic began, multiple needs for plastic materials arose. This resulted in the growth of worldwide plastic pollution, which has even reached remote polar regions. This chapter focuses on microplastic pollution in the polar oceans, such as the Antarctic and Arctic regions. The aim is to describe the microplastics reports underpinning the polar regions, summarize the acquired knowledge, and highlight the need for future perspectives.
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