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The occurrence of microplastic in aquatic environment and toxic effects for organisms
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"This review synthesized global research on microplastic occurrence in aquatic environments, finding that microplastics are widespread across all water bodies and can trigger inflammation, impair reproduction, and carry co-contaminants such as heavy metals, organic pollutants, and additives into organisms via bioaccumulation. The evidence underscores the need for stricter plastic emissions standards and improved water management, as aquatic microplastic pollution directly cascades into human dietary exposure through seafood and drinking water."
Microplastics pollution caused by the popularity of plastic products has become a global environmental concern. The frequent occurrence of microplastics in the aquatic environment has aroused people's concern about the potential risks of pollution in microplastics to the ecosystems and organisms. Moreover, other contaminants (organic pollutants, additives, heavy metals) may be absorbed on the surface of the microplastics, which can be used as a carrier for entering aquatic organisms and even humans. To date, there are still knowledge gaps about the potential risks of microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations. In this paper, the research achievements on microplastics pollution in the aquatic environment and its toxicity effects in recent years are reviewed. The systematic analysis and comparison show that the global aquatic ecosystems are generally polluted by microplastics and microplastics distribution characteristics are affected by human activities. The bioaccumulation of microplastics can trigger inflammation, affecting growth and reproduction. In addition, the interaction of microplastics with other pollutants may induce combined toxic reactions. Consequently, it is proposed to decrease the use of disposable plastic products and improve the recycling scheme of plastic waste. Strict emission standards need to be refined and water management policies strengthened, particularly in protected areas.
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