Impact of Microplastics on Aquatic Organisms and Human Health: A Review

Sanjay Kumar, Mridula Rajesh, Rajesh Km, Suyani Nk, Ahamed Rasheeq A and Pratiksha Ks
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Pratiksha Ks: Department of Fisheries Resources and Management, College of Fisheries, India

International Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources, 2020, vol. 26, issue 2, 64-69

Abstract: Since the development of commercially viable plastic in the 1950s, plastics have become an increasingly important packaging option worldwide. Unfortunately, these materials are increasingly under environmental scrutiny. Larger plastic debris slowly degrades into small fragments with various sizes ranging from meter to micrometer due to changing environmental conditions. Microplastics are a complex class of heavily modified, synthetic organic particulates, which contaminate a wide range of environments. They are a cause for concern because their size range mimics the prey size ingested by the aquatic organisms and these ingested microplastics can be potentially transferred to the higher predators. Recent studies have confirmed the ingestion of microplastics in commercially important fishes, which is ultimately consumed by humans. Thus, massive efforts are required to investigate the distribution and abundance of microplastics in the ocean, and in considering strategies to reduce the problem. Research is urgently needed, especially regarding the potential exposure and associated human health risk to micro and nano-sized plastics.

Keywords: earth and environment journals; environment journals; open access environment journals; peer reviewed environmental journals; open access; juniper publishers; ournal of Environmental Sciences; juniper publishers journals; juniper publishers reivew (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:adp:ijesnr:v:26:y:2020:i:2:p:64-69

DOI: 10.19080/IJESNR.2020.26.556185

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