Abstract:
Microplastic contamination is ubiquitous and can be transferred through the food chain to humans. However, studies on microplastic size have mainly focused on large animals with a body length >20 mm. To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive review of 169 laboratory studies to determine the edible size of microplastics for macrofauna and flora in aquatic and soil biota. Our findings indicate that microplastics with a size of <300 μm and 1 μm, respectively, are edible for these organisms, which are positioned at the base of the food chain. We also analyzed intake and depuration patterns and identified factors affecting microplastic ingestion. Our study fills an important knowledge gap by identifying the range of microplastic sizes that can enter the food chain and be transferred to humans. The study findings have strong implications for the ecological risk assessment of microplastics and suggest a starting point for mitigating this threat.
摘要:
微塑料污染无处不在,可以通过食物链转移到人类身上。然而,关于微塑料尺寸的研究主要集中在体长>20毫米的大型动物上。为了解决这个差距,我们对169项实验室研究进行了全面审查,以确定水生和土壤生物区系中大型动物和植物的微塑料的可食用大小。我们的发现表明,尺寸<300μm和1μm的微塑料,分别,对这些生物来说是可食用的,它们位于食物链的底部。我们还分析了摄入和净化模式,并确定了影响微塑料摄入的因素。我们的研究通过确定可以进入食物链并转移给人类的微塑料尺寸的范围来填补重要的知识空白。研究结果对微塑料的生态风险评估具有重要意义,并为减轻这种威胁提供了起点。