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Microplastic in marine organism: Environmental and toxicological effects
Summary
This review examined microplastics as a complex mixture of polymers, additives, and adsorbed environmental contaminants, and assessed their toxicological effects on marine organisms from ingestion and internal distribution. The authors emphasize that microplastic harm comes not only from the plastic itself but from the chemical cocktail it carries, and review the growing evidence for food web transfer.
Microplastics are tiny ubiquitous plastic particles present in marine environments. They are not an individual entity, but constitute a cocktail of polymers and additives that can absorb substances from the surrounding environment, including living substances, nutrients and marine pollutants. Given their small size (< 5 μm), microplastics can be ingested by a wide range of marine organisms with the potential to cause harms. Microplastics are a growing threat for marine biota and ecosystem. For organisms, the risks associated with microplastic ingestion are not only due to the material itself, but also to its ability to absorb and concentrate environmental contaminants in seawater and subsequently transfer them through food chains. Moreover, microplastics could influence ecological processes. Recently, plastic debris are recognized as emerging pollutants and represent a great risk for marine biodiversity worldwide. Here, we summarize the main effects of plastics and microplastics on some marine organisms and ecosystem.