Background: Plastics have conveyed great benefits to humanity and made possible some of
the most significant advances of modern civilization in fields as diverse as medicine …

Twenty years after the first publication that used the term microplastic, we review current
understanding, refine definitions, and consider future prospects. Microplastics arise from …

Microplastic particles are ubiquitous in the environment, from the air we breathe to the food
we eat. The key question with respect to these particles is to what extent they cause risks for …

Marine plastic waste pollution is one of the most urgent global marine environmental
problems worldwide. It has attracted worldwide attention from governments, the public, the …

ABSTRACT Weathering of microplastics (MPs,< 5 mm) in terrestrial and aquatic
environments affects MP transport and distribution. This paper first summarizes the sources …

The ubiquitous presence of microplastics in the food web has been established. However,
the mass of microplastics exposure to humans is not defined, impeding the human health …

Additives may be present in amounts higher than 50% within plastic objects. Additives in
plastics can be gradually released from microplastics (MPs) into the aquatic environment …

Polyethylene terephthalate is a common plastic in many products such as viscose rayon for
clothing, and packaging material in the food and beverage industries. Polyethylene …

Microplastics are widely distributed in the environment, including the atmosphere, soil and
water bodies. They have been found to have toxic effects on organisms. The impact on …

The ocean is a key component of the Earth system (Chapter 1) as it provides essential life
supporting services (Inniss et al. 2017). For example, it stores heat trapped in the …