Impact of Micro and Nanoplastics in the Marine Environment

Abstract

Plastic contamination in the ocean has recently received a lot of attention. Plastic production has been growing and its use spread to many sectors. More than 80% of plastic enters the ocean from land-based sources, with the remaining having ocean-based sources. Once in the ocean, plastic undergoes fragmentation and degradation that lead to the formation of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs), and their dimensions are becoming an environmental concern. Thus, this chapter provides an overview of the effects of MPs and NPs on marine organisms, from bacteria to fish. Plastic affects marine organisms from molecular to population levels but some knowledge gaps exist regarding the biogeochemical cycle of plastic, how it behaves and is distributed in the aquatic-sediment compartment and in deep-sea. Moreover, more attention is necessary concerning NPs ecotoxicological effects already detected and because not all polymer types and size effects have been investigated. In addition, risk assessment of plastic particles is needed to characterize their risks and for data to be comparable.