Microplastics in marine biota: A review

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 169; p. 112540
• Main Authors: Ugwu, Kevin, Herrera, Alicia, Gómez, May
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-08-2021; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Biota; Color; Colour; Fish; Marine debris; Marine mammals; Marine organisms; Marine vertebrates; Microplastics; Plastic pollution; Polyethylene; Polyethylenes; Polymers; Reviews; Sea birds; Turtles; Vertebrates; Turtles; Marine vertebrates; Fish; Microplastics; Sea birds; Marine mammals
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112540

Plastics are the most important component in marine debris. In turn, within plastics, microplastics (<5 mm) are those that most affect marine biota. Thus, this review has as its main objective to show the current state of studies of microplastics, as well as to determine the groups of vertebrates most affected by microplastics, and the type and predominant color of microplastics. For this research, we review a total of 132 articles, from 2010 to May of 2020. Our results show that the group more affected are turtles with 88% of the specimens contaminated by microplastics and median of 121.73 particles/individue. The predominant type is fibers (67.3%), polymer is polyethylene (27.3%), size is less than 2 mm (73.6%), and color is blue (32.9%).
•132 articles on ingestion of MPs in marine vertebrates were reviewed.•67% of studies use advanced methodologies and 63% analyze the complete gastrointestinal system.•88% of turtles evaluated are polluted by microplastics, with a average 121 items/individual.•Predominant types are fibers (67.3%), polymer is polyethylene (27.3%), and color is blue (32.9%).•Birds are the only group that differs from the rest, with a prevalence of fragments and light colors.