Microplastics in the Food Chain

Abstract

The world surrounding us is more over covered with plastics and we are in a "plastic era". The bigger plastic materials, as the time moves, disintegrate into micro or nano particles may be as a result of radiations or weathering. These are termed as microplastics and nanoplastics. Technically these microparticles do not create a direct impact, instead they make their way to the food chain or rather a complex food chain. These can be through various steps ranging from filter feeding to adherence. They will start to accumulate, as the trophic level increases their accumulations also get increased. These trophic transfer is mainly through ingestion of smaller to higher organisms. Thus they create various damages and diseases to organisms in successive trophic levels. That can be ranging from respiratory disorders to endocrine or oncogenic issues. Not only in the marine world, the terrestrial world is also prone to these microplastics, either by airborne or through sewage water plants. Moreover in a developing or developed country, exposure to these tiny things are much more. The impacts are showing now and will entangle in the near future, unless this is not dealt as a serious issue to be considered. This article focuses on the classification, sources, exposure to food chain or food web, trophic concentrations, health issues, and remedies of microplastics.