Trophic Transfer and Accumulation of Microplastics in Freshwater Ecosystem: Risk to Food Security and Human Health

Abstract

Plastic pollution is not at all a novel matter to the scientific as well as the public community. However, the knowledge of the general public when it comes to microplastic pollution is still in its infancy. The major sources of these tiny plastic particles in the aquatic environment are laundry, abrasion of household plastics, cosmetics, personal care products, tyre wear, food wrappings, and so on. However, the public is not much aware that they are part of these major emission sources and how much they are contributing to it. Also, the vast majority of research conducted to date on plastic pollution in all size fractions has focused more on marine ecosystems than freshwater ecosystems. Hence, people are more associated with freshwater ecosystems than marine ecosystems; it should be given additional importance.Rather than the effect on aquatic organisms through ingestion and other ways, the ecological risks posed by micro and nanoplastics as vectors for chemical contaminants and their accumulation through trophic transfer are more serious and of utmost importance. Aquatic life or aquatic ecosystem is already affected by a multitude of environmental stressors, and now microplastics and nanoplastics may represent a significant additional risk to food security. Micro and nanoplastics have already invaded our diet in various ways. Even if it does not show any immediate effect on human health, long-term exposure may pose a serious threat to the human population. Hence, identifying the possible sources and reducing exposure to these sources is of utmost importance.

Strategies to Reduce Risk and Mitigate Impacts of Disaster: Increasing Water Quality Resilience from Microplastics in the Water Supply System

“…It is quite possible to ingest microplastics that might enter a reservoir or dam from mismanaged waste in the surroundings, river discharge, 19 or atmospheric deposition 20,21 directly when swimming 22 or indirectly when undertaking recreational activities such as fishing due to the trophic transfer of microplastics through the food web. 23 At the treatment stage of the WSC, exposure through inhalation could occur while working at the treatment plant when opening packaging 24 or from accumulated dust (cumulative fibers and fragments from items such as packaging, clothing, building materials 25 ), exposing the workforce which has economic ramifications.…”

“…To illustrate, we explore the human receptor, detailing in the first instance the source abstraction stage which comprises social infrastructure. It is quite possible to ingest microplastics that might enter a reservoir or dam from mismanaged waste in the surroundings, river discharge, or atmospheric deposition , directly when swimming or indirectly when undertaking recreational activities such as fishing due to the trophic transfer of microplastics through the food web …”

The Occurrence and Fate of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants in South Africa and the Degradation of Microplastics in Aquatic Environments—A Critical Review

“…The most common pathways of MPs into the environment include storm water, wind, currents, sewers, and the degradation of large plastic debris from landfills and illegal dumping sites [39]. When the plastic debris is exposed to abiotic factors, such as UV radiation, temperature, microbial degradation, and atmospheric pressure, it results in stress on its structure, thus leading to degradation [40,41].…”

Ingested Microplastics Can Act as Microbial Vectors of Ichthyofauna

“…Nylon MPs are some of the most prevalent contaminants in the aquatic environment, which result from lost or discarded fishing gear, mainly represented by plastic monofilament lines and nylon nets [14,15], but also from everyday consumer products and improper waste management [16,17]. Once the aquatic environment has been contaminated, MPs scale up the food chain as they are mistakenly ingested as food by aquatic fauna or via trophic transfer [18,19]. Fish are the main consumers of MPs, with emerging evidence suggesting that MPs accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract of various fish species [20,21].…”