Environmental impacts of microplastics on fishery products: An overview

• Published in: Gondwana research Vol. 108; pp. 213 - 220
• Main Authors: Du, Hao, Xie, Yuqun, Wang, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.08.2022
• Subjects: Aquaculture environment; Environmental impacts; Fishery product; Microplastics; Environmental impacts; Microplastics; Aquaculture environment; Fishery product
• ISSN: 1342-937X; 1878-0571
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gr.2021.08.013

[Display omitted] •MPs are ubiquitous in aquaculture environment.•Combined effects of MPs and other contaminations are reviewed.•MPs may pose a server health threat to human through food chain.•Research recommendations on MPs pollution are proposed. Plastic particles <5 mm in size, microplastics (MPs), are a global environmental contamination, widely distributed in the environment. Aquaculture environment may have high MPs contamination due to heavy use of plastic equipment. In aquaculture systems, MPs are readily ingested by aquatic organisms and transfer to higher trophic levels such as human through the food web, thereby posing a potential threat to human health. Therefore, controlling MPs pollution has become a hot topic in recent years. This paper systematically summarized the source of MPs, the state of MPs pollution, and the pathway of MPs to food chain such as ingestion. In addition, this study also showed that MPs can adsorb and accumulate pollutants (e.g., persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals and other toxins) from surrounding aquaculture environment and can act as vectors for transfer of these contaminations. The adverse impacts of MPs associated with other toxic chemicals in aquaculture organisms and potential health threat to human are discussed. Finally, some recommendations for future directions are proposed based on current knowledge gaps. In summary, this study emphasizes the impacts of MPs pollution in aquaculture system, especially the ecological effects on aquaculture organisms and associated human health.