Plastics in the Environment: Understanding Impacts and Identifying Solutions

doi:10.3389/978-2-88971-048-5

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Babayemi et al (2018) reported that less than 12% of plastic wastes in Nigeria are being recycled; the rest end up in landfills and dump sites and may also be disposed by open burning, which causes air pollution. Unless significant breakthrough in the management of plastic design or waste is achieved, plastic emissions are projected to increase in the future; and this could impact ecological processes or the global carbon cycle (Filella et al, 2021). Hence, creating proper and improved plastic wastes management solutions has become a common global interest (Kawai et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plastic Wastes in the Aquatic Environment: Ecotoxicological Impacts and Mitigation Strategies

Okeke,

Osineye,

Okeke

2023

Advances in Biological Sciences Research

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Plastic products are in high demand due to their broad applications, resulting to a corresponding rise in the production of plastics. As a result of poor waste management practices such as uncontrolled open dumping, coastal littering, fishing, shipping and other industrial activities, plastics end up in the aquatic environment, where they accumulate as wastes. Recent studies on the abundance/concentration of plastic wastes in the aquatic environment and their resultant ecotoxicological impacts, as well as possible mitigation strategies were reviewed in this paper. Plastics do not decompose easily, and can break down into smaller particles known as nanoplastics (NPs) and microplastics (MPs) which are excellent vectors and sorbents of persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals and pathogenic microbes. NPs and MPs are easily distributed in the environment and also along trophic levels in the food web, and ultimately to humans, while their component chemicals/additives, which are mostly toxic, dissociate and accumulate in living organisms. Multiple studies reported the presence of significant amount of plastics in sediments, water and biota samples. Exposure of aquatic organisms to plastic wastes reportedly caused starvation, entanglement, suffocation, growth retardation, oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, reproductive and metabolic disorders, damage of the digestive tract, mortality, etc. They also induced apoptosis, affected the metabolism of sex hormones, and increased the risk of cancer and metabolic disorder in humans. Proposed mitigation strategies for plastic pollution include recycling and conversion of plastic waste to energy and valueadded products, regulations of usage, reduced usage, bans, use of biodegradable plastics, and public awareness programs.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plastic Wastes in the Aquatic Environment: Ecotoxicological Impacts and Mitigation Strategies

Okeke,

Osineye,

Okeke

2023

Advances in Biological Sciences Research

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“…Our first collection of Frontiers articles highlighted the broad diversity of environmental problems caused by the mismanagement of plastics in different settings, and the many challenges that scientists, managers, regulators and stakeholders face in addressing these problems (Filella et al, 2021). This, second series essentially deals with plastics in soils and the degradation of plastic (and in particular, expanded polystyrene).…”

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confidence: 99%