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Microplastics in the Marine Environment: Sources, Distribution, Biological Effects and Socio-Economic Impacts
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Researchers reviewed the sources, distribution, biological effects, and socioeconomic impacts of microplastic pollution in marine environments, finding that rivers and estuaries are the primary land-to-ocean transport pathways. The review emphasizes that microplastics transfer adsorbed pollutants and additives through food webs to top predators, and that reducing plastic production and improving waste management are essential long-term solutions.
Microplastic pollution is among the global environmental concerns of the 21st century due to its transboundary distribution and persistence in marine ecosystems. Increasing amounts have been recorded in the sedimentary cycle of marine environments, making microplastics potential indicators of the Anthropocene. However, efforts to mitigate plastic pollution are impaired by increasing annual production rates (> 340 million tonnes worldwide); by plastic material versatility, low cost and durability; by unregulated global trades; and by inefficient recycling and disposal practices worldwide. Preventing plastics and microplastics from entering the oceans must start with reducing plastic input at sources as well as improving waste management in a circular economy approach, as a long-term solution. The widespread distribution of microplastics in the marine environment has raised several questions over recent decades regarding their sources, amounts, toxicity, fate and effects on marine food webs and ecosystems. Recently, rivers and estuaries have been acknowledged as the main sources of microplastics from land to the open ocean. Due to their size, microplastics are ingested by organisms in the entire food chain; they are also potentially transferred along successive trophic levels and eventually can reach top predators. Microplastics can potentially transfer adsorbed and/or absorbed trace metals, organic pollutants, and additives throughout food webs, with unknown implic...
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Microplastics in the Marine Ecosystems: Identification and Impacts
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Tiny plastic particles called microplastics, broken-down bits of everyday plastic waste, are showing up along India's coastlines, and this review paper rounds up what scientists have found so far. While research on their health effects is still catching up, these particles are known to persist in the environment and can enter the food chain through seafood, raising concerns about long-term exposure for coastal communities. The authors point out that India still needs a lot more research to fully understand how serious this problem is and what it means for people's health.
Review on Microplastic Pollution in Marine Ecosystems: Sources, Distribution, Ecological Impacts, and Future Directions
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Researchers synthesize current knowledge on microplastic pollution in marine ecosystems, documenting sources ranging from plastic waste breakdown to industrial activities, widespread distribution from ocean surface to seafloor, ingestion by marine organisms across trophic levels, and significant knowledge gaps including long-term ecological consequences and nanoplastic effects requiring standardized research methodologies.
Research Progress of the Sources, Distribution Characteristics, and Potential Risks of Microplastics in the Global Marine Environment
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Researchers reviewed 43 studies across 13 Asian countries and found suspended airborne microplastics ranging from 0.017 to 18,880 particles/m³ outdoors and up to 8,865 particles/m³ indoors, predominantly as fibers and fragments of polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET. The pervasiveness of airborne MPs across Asia—from megacities to ocean environments—demonstrates that inhalation is a significant and underappreciated human exposure route for these persistent pollutants.
Plastics and Microplastics: Impacts in the Marine Environment
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Plastics and microplastics have achieved near-universal distribution in marine environments from surface waters to deep-sea sediments, persisting for decades while fragmenting into increasingly smaller and more biologically available particles. The growing concentration of microplastics in oceans represents a long-term threat to marine biodiversity and the food safety of seafood consumed globally.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.