Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Centre for Research in Waste Management, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Centre for Research in Waste Management, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria.
Environ Int. 2017 May;102:165-176. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2017.02.013. Epub 2017 Mar 9.
The presence of microplastics in the marine environment poses a great threat to the entire ecosystem and has received much attention lately as the presence has greatly impacted oceans, lakes, seas, rivers, coastal areas and even the Polar Regions. Microplastics are found in most commonly utilized products (primary microplastics), or may originate from the fragmentation of larger plastic debris (secondary microplastics). The material enters the marine environment through terrestrial and land-based activities, especially via runoffs and is known to have great impact on marine organisms as studies have shown that large numbers of marine organisms have been affected by microplastics. Microplastic particles have been found distributed in large numbers in Africa, Asia, Southeast Asia, India, South Africa, North America, and in Europe. This review describes the sources and global distribution of microplastics in the environment, the fate and impact on marine biota, especially the food chain. Furthermore, the control measures discussed are those mapped out by both national and international environmental organizations for combating the impact from microplastics. Identifying the main sources of microplastic pollution in the environment and creating awareness through education at the public, private, and government sectors will go a long way in reducing the entry of microplastics into the environment. Also, knowing the associated behavioral mechanisms will enable better understanding of the impacts for the marine environment. However, a more promising and environmentally safe approach could be provided by exploiting the potentials of microorganisms, especially those of marine origin that can degrade microplastics.
The concentration, distribution sources and fate of microplastics in the global marine environment were discussed, so also was the impact of microplastics on a wide range of marine biota.
微塑料在海洋环境中的存在对整个生态系统构成了巨大威胁，最近引起了广泛关注，因为其存在对海洋、湖泊、海洋、河流、沿海地区甚至极地地区都产生了巨大影响。微塑料存在于大多数常用产品中（原生微塑料），或者可能来源于较大塑料碎片的碎裂（次生微塑料）。这些物质通过陆地和陆基活动进入海洋环境，特别是通过径流进入，已知对海洋生物有很大影响，因为研究表明大量海洋生物受到微塑料的影响。微塑料颗粒已在非洲、亚洲、东南亚、印度、南非、北美和欧洲大量分布。本综述描述了环境中微塑料的来源和全球分布、命运及其对海洋生物群，特别是食物链的影响。此外，还讨论了国家和国际环境组织为应对微塑料影响而制定的控制措施。确定环境中微塑料污染的主要来源，并通过公共、私营和政府部门开展教育，提高认识，将有助于减少微塑料进入环境。此外，了解相关的行为机制将有助于更好地了解对海洋环境的影响。然而，通过开发微生物的潜力，特别是那些可以降解微塑料的海洋微生物的潜力，可以提供更有前途和环境安全的方法。
讨论了全球海洋环境中微塑料的浓度、分布来源和命运，以及微塑料对广泛的海洋生物群的影响。
