Microplastic Pollution in Seawater: A Review Study

Abstract

Due to its detrimental effects, notably on the well-being and biota of the ocean, microplastic contamination is becoming a bigger concern. Because of this, the issue of microplastics in the marine ecosystem is currently a major concern. The purpose of the study is to objectively evaluate the most recent data supporting the impact of microplastic contamination in seawater. When creating the standards for assessing the literature, P.I.C.O. was taken into account. For this inquiry, databases were selected and used throughout the data-collecting process. We checked PubMed, CINAHL, Google, Hinari, and the Cochrane Library. Boolean operators (AND, OR) and keywords were employed in the search to avoid oversaturating the data. Keywords used as per MeSH: Microplastic, plastics, seawater, ocean, pollution, microplastic exposure. The last five years (Since 2017) worth of studies were incorporated. Boolean search for relevant terms used. This limited my query to 188 records through various database searches. Several things were removed because they were unrelated to the study’s subject. Due to its detrimental impact on marine biota, the issue of microplastic contamination in the marine ecosystem is a current concern. Microplastics, which serve as a vector, become stuck with harmful pollutants. It is necessary to implement conservation management strategies and assistance for different educational programs to protect the environment from these hazardous microplastics. Humans are exposed to plastic waste when eating fish tainted with plastic. As a result, there are various outbreaks of chronic diseases, and people suffer the effects. The public’s education on the harmful effects of microplastics is a crucial need in this field. As a result, many inventions would be promoted to decrease the use and consumption of plastic and its products.

Keywords

• microplastics, pollution, seawater, plastics