Distribution and Impact of Microplastics in the Aquatic …
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the majority ends up in landfills [7]. For instance, the majority of overall worldwide plastic waste (55%) was discarded as either littered or defectively predisposed
(mismanaged) in the year 1950 through 2015 [1]. In addition to the conventional
plastic products (bags, bottles, and others), plastic nanofibers from medical areas
have been huge MPs sources to the marine environment. For example surgical face
masks, hand-on gloves, and other personal protective equipment [8]. The inappropriate dumping of plastic causes 80% of plastic contamination drives from landbased origins with the remainder originates from ocean-based sources of plastic on
the aquatic system [9–11]. For example, an anticipated quantity of 4.8–12.7 Mt of
mishandled plastic waste is supposed to have been left in the ocean by 2010 [11,
12]. From this plastic waste, an estimated quantity of over 80% of plastic fragments
has been disposed into oceans mainly from 20 coastlines [11]. In the forthcoming,
mismanaged plastic waste continued and projected in East Asia and Pacific (60%),
South Asia (12%), Sub-Saharan Africa (11%), Middle East and North Africa (7.7%),
Latin America and the Caribbean (6.3%), Europe and Central Asia (2.6%), and North
America (0.5%) by 2025 [11]. The huge plastic production volume together with their
high durability led to an extensive collection of discarded plastic wastes in landfills and plastic litter in terrestrial and water body surroundings globally [13]. This
plastics debris progressively fragments into smaller pieces and becomes a source of
microplastics (MP) contamination [7]. As a result, macroplastics and MPs are persistent contaminants that are being perceived as littering ecological niche of the globe
[11, 14]. Particularly, MPs, which have been reported sporadically early the 1970s
and estimated quantities over 5 trillion MPs are suspended in the ocean water bodies
from 2007 to 2013 [15]. Currently, MPs are believed to be the predominant form
of discharged plastic waste [16]. This is due to the marginal emphasis given to the
small-sized plastic product management at the early stages. In addition, plastic waste
disposal departing aside the effect of degradation under the ecosystem and ends up
with the formation of smaller plastic particles. Based on the size, MPs are categories
into four as MPs (<5 mm), mesoplastics (5–50 mm), macroplastics (50–500 mm),
and macroplastics (>500 mm) [17]. Basically, <5 mm size of plastic fragments are
eventually termed as MPs [6, 18].
Anthropogenic activity is the main cause of MPs pollution evidenced in several
ecologies from terrestrial to aquatic habitats. The need for accurate assessment
of the level of MPs in aquatic biota is crucial for determining baseline levels of
contamination and assessing the risk of MP to species assemblage and ecosystem.
Given the important ecological role of freshwater and marine biota and the implications of microplastics in the ecosystem, this study aimed to assess and summarizes
the occurrence, interaction, and ecotoxicity of MPs and associated heavy metals and
organic contaminants to the range of freshwater and marine organisms. In addition,
future research directives and recommendations in this review are provided.
67
the majority ends up in landfills [7]. For instance, the majority of overall worldwide plastic waste (55%) was discarded as either littered or defectively predisposed
(mismanaged) in the year 1950 through 2015 [1]. In addition to the conventional
plastic products (bags, bottles, and others), plastic nanofibers from medical areas
have been huge MPs sources to the marine environment. For example surgical face
masks, hand-on gloves, and other personal protective equipment [8]. The inappropriate dumping of plastic causes 80% of plastic contamination drives from landbased origins with the remainder originates from ocean-based sources of plastic on
the aquatic system [9–11]. For example, an anticipated quantity of 4.8–12.7 Mt of
mishandled plastic waste is supposed to have been left in the ocean by 2010 [11,
12]. From this plastic waste, an estimated quantity of over 80% of plastic fragments
has been disposed into oceans mainly from 20 coastlines [11]. In the forthcoming,
mismanaged plastic waste continued and projected in East Asia and Pacific (60%),
South Asia (12%), Sub-Saharan Africa (11%), Middle East and North Africa (7.7%),
Latin America and the Caribbean (6.3%), Europe and Central Asia (2.6%), and North
America (0.5%) by 2025 [11]. The huge plastic production volume together with their
high durability led to an extensive collection of discarded plastic wastes in landfills and plastic litter in terrestrial and water body surroundings globally [13]. This
plastics debris progressively fragments into smaller pieces and becomes a source of
microplastics (MP) contamination [7]. As a result, macroplastics and MPs are persistent contaminants that are being perceived as littering ecological niche of the globe
[11, 14]. Particularly, MPs, which have been reported sporadically early the 1970s
and estimated quantities over 5 trillion MPs are suspended in the ocean water bodies
from 2007 to 2013 [15]. Currently, MPs are believed to be the predominant form
of discharged plastic waste [16]. This is due to the marginal emphasis given to the
small-sized plastic product management at the early stages. In addition, plastic waste
disposal departing aside the effect of degradation under the ecosystem and ends up
with the formation of smaller plastic particles. Based on the size, MPs are categories
into four as MPs (<5 mm), mesoplastics (5–50 mm), macroplastics (50–500 mm),
and macroplastics (>500 mm) [17]. Basically, <5 mm size of plastic fragments are
eventually termed as MPs [6, 18].
Anthropogenic activity is the main cause of MPs pollution evidenced in several
ecologies from terrestrial to aquatic habitats. The need for accurate assessment
of the level of MPs in aquatic biota is crucial for determining baseline levels of
contamination and assessing the risk of MP to species assemblage and ecosystem.
Given the important ecological role of freshwater and marine biota and the implications of microplastics in the ecosystem, this study aimed to assess and summarizes
the occurrence, interaction, and ecotoxicity of MPs and associated heavy metals and
organic contaminants to the range of freshwater and marine organisms. In addition,
future research directives and recommendations in this review are provided.