aquatic organisms such as molluscs, birds, fish, crustaceans, and mammals mix up
microplastics with diet or selectively feed on them instead of food. This not only has
a direct effect on the creatures feeding on microplastics but also seriously disturbs all
trophic levels in food web. Studies have shown that due to mistreatment and
misperception of some sea animals like whales, fish, seabirds, and turtles they feed
on plastic particles present in their habitat, which results in adverse side effects on
their normal physiology and sometimes prove fatal to their lives. Plastic consumption can be either direct or indirect. For example, in case of direct consumption
plastics like polyethylene bags that float in water look like jellyfish and are misunderstood by turtles as their natural prey. While a mussel feeds on plastics resulting in
direct plastic consumption, but when a crab feeds on the same mussel, it will end up
having the plastic inside its gastrointestinal canal resulting in indirect consumption.
It has been confirmed that only a fraction of consumed plastic pass through the
digestive tract, while the rest is stored or retained in the body resulting in a number of
health issues (Lamb et al. 2018).
Microplastics that are taken up by living organisms hinder or effect normal
physiological functions of an organism. For example, the ability of an animal to
feed might be affected, which eventually results in malfunctioning of normal growth
and reproduction. Experiments performed in controlled environment have shown
that ingestion of microplastics by different aquatic organisms has serious health
concerns. Oysters have shown a sharp reduction in energy uptake, offspring performance, and reproduction as result of polystyrene microparticles. Egg hatching
success and algal feeding was shown to diminish in copepods due to polystyrene
ingestion with negative consequences for its survival. Polyvinylchloride
microplastics have affected soil-dwelling worms by reducing their energy reserves
and normal physiology and functions (Eerkes-Medrano et al. 2015) Hence our
discussion here clearly shows the impact of synthetic plastics on organisms which
can completely alter the functioning of marine ecosystem.
3.4.3 Species Affected by Plastic Pollution
Plastic pollution has endangered the lives of different organisms both on land and in
water, and the results are alarming for the sea life. The reason that sea ecosystem is
affected worse than the land is the fact that almost 80% of the land-based plastic is
destined to enter water resources. Once in the water the plastic breaks apart into
fragments and particles of a wide range of residual sizes due to water currents and
other marine water factors. Different organisms have been studied for the effects of
plastics on their normal life, physiological activities and also its impacts on their
habitat in the water. We will discuss here some of the sea animals in order to grasp
the idea of the bad consequences the sea life is facing and how difficult is the war of
survival between the life and plastics in the oceans.
3 Remediation of Water Pollution by Plastics
99
microplastics with diet or selectively feed on them instead of food. This not only has
a direct effect on the creatures feeding on microplastics but also seriously disturbs all
trophic levels in food web. Studies have shown that due to mistreatment and
misperception of some sea animals like whales, fish, seabirds, and turtles they feed
on plastic particles present in their habitat, which results in adverse side effects on
their normal physiology and sometimes prove fatal to their lives. Plastic consumption can be either direct or indirect. For example, in case of direct consumption
plastics like polyethylene bags that float in water look like jellyfish and are misunderstood by turtles as their natural prey. While a mussel feeds on plastics resulting in
direct plastic consumption, but when a crab feeds on the same mussel, it will end up
having the plastic inside its gastrointestinal canal resulting in indirect consumption.
It has been confirmed that only a fraction of consumed plastic pass through the
digestive tract, while the rest is stored or retained in the body resulting in a number of
health issues (Lamb et al. 2018).
Microplastics that are taken up by living organisms hinder or effect normal
physiological functions of an organism. For example, the ability of an animal to
feed might be affected, which eventually results in malfunctioning of normal growth
and reproduction. Experiments performed in controlled environment have shown
that ingestion of microplastics by different aquatic organisms has serious health
concerns. Oysters have shown a sharp reduction in energy uptake, offspring performance, and reproduction as result of polystyrene microparticles. Egg hatching
success and algal feeding was shown to diminish in copepods due to polystyrene
ingestion with negative consequences for its survival. Polyvinylchloride
microplastics have affected soil-dwelling worms by reducing their energy reserves
and normal physiology and functions (Eerkes-Medrano et al. 2015) Hence our
discussion here clearly shows the impact of synthetic plastics on organisms which
can completely alter the functioning of marine ecosystem.
3.4.3 Species Affected by Plastic Pollution
Plastic pollution has endangered the lives of different organisms both on land and in
water, and the results are alarming for the sea life. The reason that sea ecosystem is
affected worse than the land is the fact that almost 80% of the land-based plastic is
destined to enter water resources. Once in the water the plastic breaks apart into
fragments and particles of a wide range of residual sizes due to water currents and
other marine water factors. Different organisms have been studied for the effects of
plastics on their normal life, physiological activities and also its impacts on their
habitat in the water. We will discuss here some of the sea animals in order to grasp
the idea of the bad consequences the sea life is facing and how difficult is the war of
survival between the life and plastics in the oceans.
3 Remediation of Water Pollution by Plastics
99