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Microplastic in the Marine Environment of the Indian Ocean

Journal of Environmental Protection 2023 18 citations

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This review summarizes research from 2015 to 2022 on microplastic contamination in commercially important fish species across the Indian Ocean. Researchers found that microplastics have been detected in fish throughout the region, raising concerns about contamination entering the human food chain through seafood consumption. The study highlights that while significant plastic pollution is known to exist in parts of the Indian Ocean, systematic research on microplastic abundance is still relatively recent.

Study Type Environmental

Microplastic has been found in all major waterbodies in the world. Many examples of ingestion of microplastic by marine organisms have been reported. This presence of microplastic in marine organisms gives it the possibility to penetrate the human food chain by increasing the chance of microplastic in seafood targeted for human consumption. Although it is known that parts of the Indian Ocean suffer from significant plastic pollution, much of the systematic research on the microplastic abundance in different regions of the Indian Ocean stems only from the last five years. This manuscript reviews the available literature of 2015-2022 on the presence of microplastics in commercially important fish species in the Indian Ocean. The literature data on microplastic content on beaches, in subtidal sediment, in the sediment from the ocean floor, and in surface water of different regions of the Indian Ocean is reviewed, also.

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