1
Depertmment of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
2
Depertmment of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran .
Abstract
Global production of plastic materials has grown rapidly over the past 66 years. This increase in production and consumption led to an increase the plastic waste, most of which enters aquatic systems. In the marine environment, plastic particles can remain for more than 50 years creating potential hazards to the aquatic organisms. However, by mechanical and optical degradation, they gradually break down into smaller particles known microplastics. Microplastics, in the last decades as emerging and lesser-known pollutants, have attracted the attention of many researchers. These pollutants are plastics having a diameter less than 5 mm, which enter the marine environment in various ways and endanger aquatic organisms. Studies show that plastics in the marine systems destroy thousands of aquatic vertebrates. Researchers reported the most severe effect of microplastics in marine environments is the absorption of chemical contaminants, which cause the environmental stability of these materials. This study reviews the recent finding of researchers regarding microplastics and some of their effects on aquatic organisms.