Microplastics: An Emerging Contaminant in Aquatic Ecosystems
Rajesh Debnath*
Dept. of Fisheries, Government of Assam, Guwahati, Assam (781 016), India
Simanku Borah
Anil Kumar Yadav
ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Regional Centre, HOUSEFED Complex, Dispur, Guwahati, Assam (781 006), India
Bipasha Nandi
College of Fisheries, Assam Agricultural University, Raha, Nagaon, Assam (782 103), India
Jeetendra Kumar
ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute 24, Panna Lal Road, Prayagraj, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh (211 002), India
Gora Shiva Prasad
Faculty of Fishery Sciences, WBUAFS, Kolkata, West Bengal (700 094), India
DOI: NIL
Keywords: Biomagnification, Environment, Microplastics, Mitigation
Abstract
Microplastics are a common contaminant that has been found in almost all aquatic environments, which poses a hazard to the aquatic ecosystem. Direct discharges of microplastics into the environment occur from a variety of sources and accumulate pollutants from the surrounding environment, which later affect living organisms mostly by ingestion. Biomagnification and trophic transfer are the two major possible ways for microplastics to enter humans. Microplastic pollution has gained attention in recent years, which has increased understanding of its impacts on living organisms. This article focuses on the sources, characteristics and impacts of microplastics on the aquatic ecosystem and also discusses mitigation measures for microplastic pollution.
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Reference
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