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Microplastics in the marine environment: Sources, Impacts & Recommendations
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This technical report from an Irish marine research center reviews the sources, transport pathways, and ecological impacts of microplastics in the marine environment, summarizing the scientific evidence and making policy recommendations. It is a commissioned review document rather than a primary empirical research article.
Citation and disclaimer This technical report was produced by the marine microplastic research team from the Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (MFRC GMIT), and was commissioned by Seas At Risk VzW (SAR) with support from the Senior Marine Litter Policy Officer Frédérique Mongodin. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of MFRC GMIT or SAR concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this report might not necessarily reflect those of the organisations and expert participants who supported the work, and therefore do not compromise them. The authors warrant that they have taken all reasonable care to ensure the accuracy and quality of information provided; however, this does not guarantee that the information is free from errors or omissions. Expert interviews were conducted as part of this study, to which detailed information was provided to each participant prior the interview. The interviews followed the guidelines of the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679) and were only conducted after provision of individual consent. The authors acknowledge the contributions of the following participants, listed in alphabetical order: Alina Wieczorek; Alvise Vianello; Charlotte Laufkötter; Chelsea Rochman; Colin Hannon; Cristina Panti; Erik van Sebille; François Galgani; Filipa Bessa; Giuseppe Suaria; Hans Peter Arp; Juliana Ivar do Sul; Laura Foster; Laurent Lebreton; Patricia Burkhardt-Holm; Sedat Gündoğdu; Stefania Di Vito; Stefanie Werner; Susanne Kühn; Thomas Maes; Tim van Emmerik; Tonia Astrid Capuano and Valeria Botta. Graphic design and cover art *Copyright Malcolm Deegan 2021, all rights reserved. Disclaimer: dissemination/extraction of cover art or design elements/images and/or infographics are strictly prohibited. Use of design elements/images/infographics/cover art are strictly for this online document only. Fair usage is not authorised nor any dissemination for promotional/outreach/social media/print or any other purpose not mentioned here. www.maldeegan.com
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