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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to Would the Oceans Become Toxic to Humanity Due to Use and Mismanagement of Plastics?
ClearRisk assessment of microplastics in the ocean: Modelling approach and first conclusions
Ocean microplastic concentrations are projected to increase 50-fold by 2100, and while average open-ocean levels may remain below the derived safe threshold of 6,650 particles/m³, heavily polluted coastal and benthic zones are expected to exceed safe concentrations in the second half of this century.
Recovery from microplastic-induced marine deoxygenation may take centuries
Biogeochemical modeling showed that even complete removal of microplastics from the ocean starting in 2022 would not fully reverse microplastic-induced marine deoxygenation for centuries due to accumulated impacts on phytoplankton and oxygen cycling. The findings underscore the long-term consequences of microplastic pollution for ocean health.
A mass budget and box model of global plastics cycling, degradation and dispersal in the land-ocean-atmosphere system
Researchers built a global computer model tracking how 8,300 million metric tons of plastic produced since 1950 cycles through land, ocean, and atmosphere as it fragments into microplastics over time. Their modeling shows that even eliminating all new plastic releases from 2025 onward would still leave small microplastics cycling through the environment for millennia, because of the enormous stockpile of plastic waste already accumulated on land.
Is plastic debris toxic ?
This work examines the toxicity of plastic debris, reviewing evidence on the chemical and physical harm posed by plastic particles and their associated contaminants to biological systems. The publication is part of the international scientific literature assessing whether plastic pollution constitutes a direct toxic hazard.
Reduction scenarios of plastic waste emission guided by the probability distribution model to avoid additional ocean plastic pollution by 2050s
Researchers developed a probability distribution model to predict future marine macroplastic and microplastic abundances under various waste emission scenarios. The study suggests that to achieve zero additional ocean plastic pollution by 2050, global plastic waste emissions would need to be reduced by at least 32% relative to 2019 levels by around 2035, requiring stringent systemic changes in waste management.
Prediction of What Would Occur if Plastic Pollution Continues and Strategies for Reducing It
This paper reviews current plastic pollution levels, predicts future outcomes if current trends continue, and evaluates strategies for reducing plastic waste. If production and disposal patterns don't change, plastics could outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050, making the human health implications of microplastics increasingly severe.
A review on the environmental fate, toxicological risks, and cutting-edge degradation methods of microplastics contamination
Researchers reviewed the global spread of microplastics, documenting concentrations reaching up to 2 million particles per square kilometer in some regions and cataloging their toxic effects on ecosystems and human health. The review highlights an urgent need for coordinated strategies including biodegradable plastics, better wastewater filtration, and international policy to address what it calls an escalating environmental threat.
Risks of floating microplastic in the global ocean
Researchers assessed the ecological risk of floating microplastics in the global ocean by comparing measured concentrations with toxicity thresholds for 23 marine species. They found that in 2010, roughly 0.17% of the ocean surface layer posed a threatening risk, with that fraction projected to rise to 1.62% by 2100 under worst-case scenarios. The Mediterranean Sea and Yellow Sea were identified as current hotspots where microplastic concentrations already pose measurable ecological risks.
Micro- and nano-plastics pollution in the marine environment: Progresses, drawbacks and future guidelines
This review summarizes the current state of micro- and nanoplastic pollution in the world's oceans, estimating that 50 to 75 trillion plastic particles are present in marine environments. The pollution threatens 17% of marine species and causes billions of dollars in economic losses, while also entering the human food chain through seafood consumption.
A mass budget and box model of global plastics cycling, degradation and dispersal in the land-ocean-atmosphere system.
Researchers developed a global mass budget and box model tracking plastic cycling across terrestrial, oceanic, and atmospheric reservoirs from 1950 to 2015, incorporating historical production data, fragmentation, and transport dynamics for macroplastics, large microplastics, and small microplastics. The model estimated that the deep ocean (82 Tg) and shelf sediments (116 Tg) represent major plastic reservoirs, and that even maximum feasible reduction scenarios would result in approximately 4-fold increases in atmospheric and aquatic microplastic exposure by 2050 due to legacy plastics already in circulation.
Abundance of non-conservative microplastics in the upper ocean from 1957 to 2066
A combination of numerical modeling and transoceanic microplastic surveys from 1957 to 2015 was used to project Pacific Ocean microplastic abundance through 2066, showing ongoing accumulation particularly in the North Pacific as a result of removal processes (sinking, fragmentation) being slower than inputs. The study demonstrates that ocean microplastic levels will continue to rise under current emission trajectories.
Environmental toxicology of marine microplastic pollution
This review summarized a decade of research on the environmental toxicology of marine microplastic pollution across different ocean organisms and trophic levels. Researchers found that microplastics can accumulate in marine life from phytoplankton to fish, causing molecular, metabolic, and physiological harm. The study emphasizes that understanding these toxic effects is essential for assessing the broader ecological risks of plastic pollution in ocean environments.
Fate of plastics and microplastics in the marine environment
This thesis reviewed how plastics and microplastics enter, move through, and accumulate in marine environments, examining sources, transport pathways, and long-term fate. Understanding the ocean's plastic burden is essential for predicting ecological and human health risks.
Current and potential risks of microplastics in global surface waters
Researchers assessed the current and projected risk of floating microplastics in marine and freshwater ecosystems globally by comparing field occurrence concentrations to ecotoxicity thresholds using probability distributions that account for size mismatches between sampling and toxicity studies. Results estimated that 37% of marine environments already exceed conservative risk thresholds protective of 95% of species, with this fraction projected to rise to 47.4% by 2040 under a business-as-usual scenario.
Plastic waste discharge to the global ocean constrained by seawater observations
Researchers used ocean plastic concentration data combined with multiple ocean circulation models to estimate that approximately 0.7 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year, though uncertainty spans nearly 1.5 orders of magnitude. The study emphasizes that improving emission inventories and ocean monitoring data are the highest priorities for reducing uncertainty in global plastic pollution estimates.
A Summary of the Transporting Mechanism of Microplastics in Marine Food Chain and its Effects to Humans
This review summarized how microplastics are transported through marine food chains from plankton to fish to humans, detailing toxic effects at each trophic level and outlining mitigation strategies to reduce ecological and human health risks from oceanic plastic pollution.
Microplastics pollution in the marine environment: A review of sources, impacts and mitigation
This review summarizes how millions of tons of plastic waste enter the oceans each year and break into microplastics that absorb pollutants, heavy metals, and chemical additives. These contaminated particles pose risks to human health when they enter the food chain through seafood consumption.
Global environmental plastic dispersal under OECD policy scenarios toward 2060
Using a global computer model, researchers simulated how plastic pollution will spread through land, ocean, and atmosphere under different policy scenarios through 2060. Even with strong policy action, microplastics already in the environment will continue to circulate for centuries because existing plastic slowly breaks into smaller pieces. The study estimated the total marine plastic pool at 263 million tons, showing that preventing new pollution is critical but will not quickly solve the microplastic problem already in our ecosystems.
Estimation of the age of polyethylene microplastics collected from oceans: Application to the western North Pacific Ocean
Scientists developed a method to estimate how long polyethylene microplastics have been floating in the ocean by measuring their chemical degradation level and matching it to UV exposure data. They applied this technique to samples from the western North Pacific and estimated ages ranging from months to years. Knowing the age of ocean microplastics helps researchers trace where plastic pollution originates and how far ocean currents carry it.
Forecasting global plastic production and microplastic emission using advanced optimised discrete grey model
Researchers used advanced mathematical models to forecast future global plastic production and microplastic emissions. Their projections suggest that both production and emissions will continue rising significantly in the coming decades if current trends hold. The study provides policymakers with quantitative predictions that could help guide strategies for reducing plastic pollution.