The ecotoxicological consequences of microplastics and co-contaminants in aquatic organisms: a mini-review

Emerging topics in life sciences - Tập 6 Số 4 - Trang 339-348 - 2022
Farhan R. Khan1, Ana I. Catarino2, Nathaniel J. Clark3,4
11Department of Climate & Environment, Norwegian Research Center (NORCE), Nygårdsporten 112, NO-5008 Bergen, Norway
22Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee, Flanders Marine Institute InnovOcean site, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
33School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, U.K.
44School of Health Professionals, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, U.K.

Tóm tắt

Microplastics (MPs, <5 mm in size) are a grave environmental concern. They are a ubiquitous persistent pollutant group that has reached into all parts of the environment — from the highest mountain tops to the depths of the ocean. During their production, plastics have added to them numerous chemicals in the form of plasticizers, colorants, fillers and stabilizers, some of which have known toxicity to biota. When released into the environments, MPs are also likely to encounter chemical contaminants, including hydrophobic organic contaminants, trace metals and pharmaceuticals, which can sorb to plastic surfaces. Additionally, MPs have been shown to be ingested by a wide range of organisms and it is this combination of ingestion and chemical association that gives weight to the notion that MPs may impact the bioavailability and toxicity of both endogenous and exogenous co-contaminants. In this mini-review, we set the recent literature within what has been previously published about MPs as chemical carriers to biota, with particular focus on aquatic invertebrates and fish. We then present a critical viewpoint on the validity of laboratory-to-field extrapolations in this area. Lastly, we highlight the expanding ‘microplastic universe’ with the addition of anthropogenic particles that have gained recent attention, namely, tire wear particles, nanoplastics and, bio-based or biodegradable MPs, and highlight the need for future research in their potential roles as vehicles of co-contaminant transfer.

Từ khóa


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