미세플라스틱의 개념과 해양에서의 발생, 이동, 생물영향 및 관리대책

The Concept of Microplastics and their Occurrence, Transport, Biological Effects, and Management Methods in the Ocean

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the concept of microplastics and their occurrence, transport, biological effects, and management methods in the ocean. Methods: I reviewed articles on microplastics in the ocean by using the Google Scholar database. Results: Plastic litter has been reported as a ubiquitous pollutant in the ocean due to the extensive consumption of plastics and the mismanagement of plastic wastes. Microplastics are generally defined as synthetic polymer particles <5 mm in size. Microplastics generated from the degradation of plastic litter are currently a serious global concern since they spread easily all over the ocean, transfer to different tissues inside contaminated animals, and even across different trophic levels inside the food web. An additional concern is the ability of microplastics to adsorb organic and inorganic pollutants and subsequently release them into the ocean. Thus, alternatives to reduce microplastics in the ocean are discussed. Conclusions: This paper summarizes the concept of microplastics and their behavior in the ocean and suggests management methods for microplastics in support of a cleaner ocean.