From plastics to microplastics and organisms

• Published in: FEBS open bio Vol. 11; no. 4; pp. 954 - 966
• Main Author: Bajt, Oliver
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.04.2021; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Aquatic Organisms; Biodegradation, Environmental; Cellulose; Coasts; degradation; durability; Ecology; Environmental Pollutants; Environmental Pollution; Fish; Food; Fourier transforms; ingestion; Marine environment; Marine organisms; Microplastics; Mollusks; mussels; Photodegradation; Plastic debris; Plastics; Pollutants; Polyethylene terephthalate; Polymers; Polyvinyl chloride; Review; toxicology; Waste Management; wastes; Water Pollutants, Chemical; China; France; Mediterranean Sea; Ionian Sea; Adriatic Sea; Greenland; Spain; degradation; microplastics; marine environment; mussels; fish
• ISSN: 2211-5463; 2211-5463
• DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13120

The amount of plastic waste and microplastics released into marine environments has increased rapidly in recent decades. The durability of plastic materials results in major problems following their release into the environment. This study provides an overview of recent findings on issues related to plastic degradation, the accumulation of microplastics in mussels and fishes, and the toxicological effects associated with the ingestion of microplastics. These findings confirm the serious problem of slowly degrading plastics (which rarely degrade fully) in natural marine environments. Microplastics have become widespread pollutants and have been detected in mussels and fish around the world. Microplastic particles, whether virgin or with adsorbed pollutants on their surfaces, pose a health problem after being ingested by marine organisms. This paper ends by highlighting the need for certain improvements in studies of these phenomena. This study provides an overview of recent findings on the problem of microplastics in the marine environment. Microplastic pollution is a very widespread problem. Microplastics have been identified in different mussel and fish species. Many studies also emphasize the adverse toxic effects on marine organisms after the ingestion of microplastics.