Document of bibliographic reference 354962

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

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

Abstract

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.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000863080200001

Bibliographic citation

Khan, F.R.; Catarino, A.I.; Clark, N.J. (2022). The ecotoxicological consequences of microplastics and co-contaminants in aquatic organisms: a mini-review. Emerging Topics in Life Sciences 6(4): 339-348. https://dx.doi.org/10.1042/etls20220014

Topic

Marine

Is peer reviewed

true

Access rights

open access

Is accessible for free

true