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Article Tier 2 Human Health Effects Marine & Wildlife Sign in to save

Ecotoxicological Effects of Microplastics in Marine Zooplankton

Springer water 2020 4 citations

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Marine zooplankton ingest microplastics, mistaking them for food, which reduces feeding, impairs reproduction, and can transfer particles up the food chain. Because zooplankton form the base of marine food webs, their ecotoxicological responses to microplastics have cascading consequences for ocean ecosystems and human seafood consumers.

Marine microplastics are recognized as an emerging pollutant accumulating in marine environment, throughout the water column and on the seabed [1]. Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year [2], and almost 10% of the annual production ends up...

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