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The Effects of Marine Microplastics on Marine Life and Human Health in the Bay of Bengal
Summary
This review examines evidence that marine microplastics in the Bay of Bengal pose risks to marine organisms and human health, particularly for populations relying heavily on fish consumption, by acting as vectors for toxic chemicals and causing physical harm throughout the marine food web.
Marine microplastics are an emerging pollutant that has already shown adverse effects in fish, mice, and other lower-order organisms. Based on the impact microplastics have on these organisms, human health will likely be affected, especially in areas where fish and other marine life are a significant part of the diet. A wide range of previously conducted research was used to study the effects and predict the dangers of microplastic consumption on human health. The sources covered three general topics: the effects of microplastics on commonly consumed European and Mediterranean fish, their effects on the gut microbiome of mice, and the transmission of microplastics across trophic levels. A prediction was made using the presented data, stating that there will be and there is already a likely effect on the human neuroendocrine and digestive systems. This assumption was drawn from the known health effects of microplastics on fish and mice and the processes of bioaccumulation and biomagnification. In conclusion, it was predicted that the regular consumption of contaminated fish is likely already affecting human health in the region. Furthermore, the current policies and regulations focused on plastic pollution in India and Bangladesh are either not strong enough or not enforced well enough to reduce the amount of plastic pollution in the bodies of water in the region.
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