A brief review on microplastics in aquatic ecosystems.
Keywords:
Plastics, Aquaculture, Polymers, Ingestion, Human healthAbstract
Environmental pollution caused by microplastics (MPs) has become one of the major concerns worldwide; these particles have become omnipresent contaminants in all ecosystems, mainly marine ones, posing significant ecological and human health risks. Activities such as fishing and aquaculture have developed thanks to modernization and industrialization, including the use of plastic materials and products, which in turn contribute to MPs contamination in natural and cultivated ecosystems. The objective of this paper is to present a brief review of MPs contamination in aquatic ecosystems, their physical and chemical characteristics, as well as the techniques used for the extraction and identification of MPs particles in aquatic biota. In addition, the effects and transfer of MPs in food chains, the interaction of these particles with other contaminants, and the effects on aquatic biota and human health are addressed.
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