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Biology

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University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

2021

Biodegradation

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

An Ecotoxicological Approach To Microplastics On Terrestrial And Aquatic Organisms: A Systematic Review In Assessment, Monitoring And Biological Impact, Omar A. Vazquez, Saydur Rahman Feb 2021

An Ecotoxicological Approach To Microplastics On Terrestrial And Aquatic Organisms: A Systematic Review In Assessment, Monitoring And Biological Impact, Omar A. Vazquez, Saydur Rahman

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Marine and land plastic debris biodegrades at micro- and nanoscales through progressive fragmentation. Oceanographic model studies confirm the presence of up to ~2.41 million tons of microplastics across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian subtropical gyres. Microplastics distribute from primary (e.g., exfoliating cleansers) and secondary (e.g., chemical deterioration) sources in the environment. This anthropogenic phenomenon poses a threat to the flora and fauna of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems as ingestion and entanglement cases increase over time. This review focuses on the impact of microplastics across taxa at suggested environmentally relevant concentrations, and advances the groundwork for future ecotoxicological-based research on microplastics …