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Environmental Effect of Plastics During the Anthropocene and the Great Acceleration
Summary
This review examines the environmental effects of macroplastics and microplastics across the Anthropocene and the 'Great Acceleration' of plastic production since 1950, with case examples from Tunisian coastal regions including Bizerte, Kerkennah, and Gabes. Researchers found that plastic pollution has become dispersed across continental and marine environments, detectable via infrared spectroscopy, and associated with both aesthetic and ecological damage.
The aim of this chapter is to investigate the environmental effect of plastics (macroplastic and microplastic) during the Anthropocene and the Great Acceleration. Plastic production has worldwide increased since 1950. For instance, many Tunisian regions such as Bizerte, Kerkennah, and Gabes witness a proliferation of plastic and microplastic. The manifestation of the plastic invasion is obviously dispersed within continental and marine environments. The detection of microplastic needs an extraction protocol and the use of the infrared spectroscopy. Added to their esthetic pollution, effect of plastics on environment and human health remains controversial. On the other hand, microplastic fragments obtained after the partial destruction of plastic represent more serious dangers. These fragments are integrated within the pedosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. They may be eaten by animals, including humans. Plastics are also good and safe niches for pathogenic viruses. They are considered as motivators of the Anthropocene virology.