Overview of the biological effects of lost and discarded plastic debris in the marine environment

Environmental contextMillions of tons of plastic debris are present in the marine environment. This study addresses the issue of microplastics in nearshore sediment and fish sampled from the Saudi coastal waters of the Red Sea. The results show that the sediments of all analysed stations contained microplastics, and microplastic particles were detected in almost half of the 140 sampled fish. AbstractThe amounts of microplastics in sediment samples obtained from four stations along the Jeddah coast were shown to range from not detected to 119particleskg−1 wet sediment. Four classes of microplastic particles in the sediment, that is, fragments, granules, foams and fibres, were characterised by fluorescence microscopy. Microplastics of various forms and sizes were also identified in 44% of the 140 sampled fish (6 local species) in amounts ranging from not detected to 30 microplastic particles per individual. Polyethylene terephthalate and vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers were the dominant polymer types in the sediment samples identified by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, while polystyrene, polyethylene and polyester were the dominant polymer types detected in fish. FTIR analysis showed that the most detected fibres were made of polyester. The results of this study emphasise that microplastic pollution represents an emerging threat to the marine environment of the Red Sea. The results of this study provide useful background information for further investigations and provide an accurate overview of the microplastics distribution in the marine environment of the Saudi Red Sea.

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Current perspectives on the remediation methods of marine plastic pollution: a review

Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Biologia ◽

10.24193/subbbiol.2020.2.04 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 65 (2) ◽

pp. 69-86

Author(s):

Andreea Lup ◽

Mihai Gorea ◽

Denisa Bruhs

Keyword(s):

Marine Environment ◽

Biological Effects ◽

Marine Species ◽

Plastic Pollution ◽

Different Types ◽

Waves And Tides ◽

Bacteria And Fungi ◽

The Impact ◽

Harmful Effects

Plastic debris represents a contemporary point of concern for the marine environment, being discharged into the ocean at an alarming scale. However, the quantity of waste that is found in the ocean is unknown. Where does this waste come from, and where does it end up are questions that scientists and researchers are still trying to accurately answer. The majority of plastic products that make their way into the ocean come mainly from human activities. Most of them land on beaches, and eventually find their way into the ocean, being washed away by waves and tides. To assess the impact of these pollutants that are found in the marine environment, it is necessary to determine the concentration of the chemicals accumulating in the biomass, and the effects they cause. There are numerous biological effects which lead to many obvious diseases in marine species. Also, these harmful effects determine changes in community structure, the modification of the habitat and local or complete extinction of many aquatic species. This review aims to lay out the present situation of the marine environment, and the effects of the pollution caused by industrialization and urbanization. Different types of remediation approaches have been discussed, such as physical remediation techniques. Besides that, the role of numerous bacteria and fungi that are capable of breaking down these chemicals that surround us, has been highlighted and point at some of the bioremediation technologies that are currently available.

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