The EPHEMARE project: Ecotoxicological effects of microplastics in marine ecosystems

Insights on Ecotoxicological Effects of Microplastics in Marine Ecosystems: The EPHEMARE Project

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The EPHEMARE project systematically examined microplastic ecotoxicology across multiple marine species and life stages, finding that effects depend strongly on particle size, polymer type, concentration, and co-exposure with chemical pollutants. These multi-species results underscore the complexity of real-world microplastic risk and the limitations of single-species laboratory studies.

The effects of microplastics on marine ecosystem and future research directions

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Researchers summarize how microplastics accumulate throughout marine food webs and affect growth, behavior, reproduction, and survival of marine organisms, while calling for standardized testing methods and greater focus on fiber and fragment morphologies to better quantify real-world ecological risks.

Ecotoxicological Consequences of Microplastics in Aquatic Life

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Researchers reviewed how microplastics — tiny plastic particles under 5mm — harm aquatic ecosystems, documenting that fish, invertebrates, and other marine life can ingest them, leading to physical damage, toxic chemical exposure, and disruptions to feeding and reproduction.

Advances in quantification, degradation and ecotoxicology of microplastics in marine resources

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Researchers reviewed quantification methods, degradation processes, and ecotoxicological effects of microplastics in marine resources, finding that bivalves, fish, and invertebrates accumulate plastic particles that trigger oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, and inflammation while current detection methods for nanoplastics remain underdeveloped.

The fate and impacts of microplastics in marine systems