Global Meta-Analysis and Review of Microplastic in Marine Copepods.
Environ Pollut
; 351: 124092, 2024 Jun 15.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38701964
ABSTRACT
Plastic pollution has spread through all parts of the marine environment, representing a significant threat to species and ecosystems. This study investigates the role of copepods as widespread microplastic reservoirs in the marine environment, by performing, a systematic review, meta-analysis, and semiquantitative analysis of scientific articles focusing on the interaction between copepods and microplastics under field conditions. Our findings indicate that despite uniformly low ingestion of microplastics across different marine layers and geographical areas, with a slight uptake in neustonic copepods, copepods might constitute one of the largest marine microplastic reservoirs. This phenomenon is attributed more to their vast abundance than to average microplastic ingestion values. In this article, a framework for data analysis and reporting is proposed to facilitate future large-scale evaluations and modelling of their extent and impact on plastic and carbon cycles. These insights place copepods at the forefront of the marine plastic cycle, possibly affecting plastic distribution, and bioavailability, thereby opening new pathways for understanding the complex dynamics of microplastics in marine ecosystems.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Water Pollutants, Chemical
/
Environmental Monitoring
/
Ecosystem
/
Copepoda
/
Microplastics
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Environ Pollut
Journal subject:
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Country of publication: