Microplastics: from origin to impacts

Summary

Microplastic (MP) pollution has rapidly become one of the most prominent global environmental issues. While there is debate as to whether the issue warrants the level of research, media, and funding currently centered upon it, the prevalence of MPs throughout the environment cannot be underestimated. Studies have demonstrated the movement of MPs into even the remotest habitats and have revealed their varied impacts, ranging from the transport of harmful microbes to changes in feeding behavior, tissue structure, and reproductive output. Despite this knowledge, there are still many challenges to the quantification, monitoring, and impacts of MP pollution.