Microplastic Pollution in Marine
Environment: Occurrence, Fate,
and Effects (With a Specific Focus
on Biogeochemical Carbon and Nitrogen
Cycles)
Bozhi Yan, Qing Liu, Jingjing Li, Chunsheng Wang, Yanhong Li,
and Chunfang Zhang
Abstract The pollution of microplastics is becoming increasingly serious, and rising
evidence shows that the marine environment, especially sediments are major sinks
of these plastics. So far, microplastic particles have been reported as widespread in
large quantities in various water body and sedimentary environments such as beach,
shallow coastal area, estuary, fjord, continental shelf environments, and deep-sea
environments. Moreover, recent studies showed that the existence of microplastics would influence the structure and function of marine environmental microbial communities, thereby affecting the nitrogen/carbon cycling processes in marine
environment especially sediments. Considering increasing microplastic pollution in
marine environment especially sediment, the impact of plastics on marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycling deserves in-depth investigation. Therefore, in
the present study, information on occurrences and fate of microplastic particles in
different marine environments, and their effects, mainly on marine ecosystems and
biogeochemical carbon and nitrogen cycles, is reviewed.
Keywords Microplastics · Sediment · Transportation · Biogeochemical cycle ·
Plankton · Benthos · Microbial communities
B. Yan · Q. Liu · Y. Li · C. Zhang (B)
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin
541006, China
e-mail: 0014105@zju.edu.cn; zhangcf@zju.edu.cn
J. Li · C. Zhang
Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, Zhejiang, China
C. Wang
Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou, China
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
S. S. Muthu (ed.), Microplastic Pollution, Sustainable Textiles: Production, Processing,
Manufacturing & Chemistry, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0297-9_4
105
Environment: Occurrence, Fate,
and Effects (With a Specific Focus
on Biogeochemical Carbon and Nitrogen
Cycles)
Bozhi Yan, Qing Liu, Jingjing Li, Chunsheng Wang, Yanhong Li,
and Chunfang Zhang
Abstract The pollution of microplastics is becoming increasingly serious, and rising
evidence shows that the marine environment, especially sediments are major sinks
of these plastics. So far, microplastic particles have been reported as widespread in
large quantities in various water body and sedimentary environments such as beach,
shallow coastal area, estuary, fjord, continental shelf environments, and deep-sea
environments. Moreover, recent studies showed that the existence of microplastics would influence the structure and function of marine environmental microbial communities, thereby affecting the nitrogen/carbon cycling processes in marine
environment especially sediments. Considering increasing microplastic pollution in
marine environment especially sediment, the impact of plastics on marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycling deserves in-depth investigation. Therefore, in
the present study, information on occurrences and fate of microplastic particles in
different marine environments, and their effects, mainly on marine ecosystems and
biogeochemical carbon and nitrogen cycles, is reviewed.
Keywords Microplastics · Sediment · Transportation · Biogeochemical cycle ·
Plankton · Benthos · Microbial communities
B. Yan · Q. Liu · Y. Li · C. Zhang (B)
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin
541006, China
e-mail: 0014105@zju.edu.cn; zhangcf@zju.edu.cn
J. Li · C. Zhang
Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, Zhejiang, China
C. Wang
Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou, China
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
S. S. Muthu (ed.), Microplastic Pollution, Sustainable Textiles: Production, Processing,
Manufacturing & Chemistry, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0297-9_4
105