Micro-and macro-plastics in marine species from Nordic waters
Abstract
Concerns regarding marine pollution as an environmental issue has fuelled research and driven the development of international directives to preserve and maintain good environmental status.Plastics are the largest and most discussed components of marine litter.This document will discuss two types of plastic items, macroplastics and microplastics, the former being large visible items of plastics and the latter being smaller than 5mm in size.Plastic items can be made from different polymers and additive chemicals which makes them a versatile material with many different uses.The main applications in the EU include packaging and building and construction.Global production of plastics reached 322 million tonnes in 2015 and plastic production, and mass consumption, ultimately results in waste products when items reach their end of use.If discarded plastics escape waste collection schemes or are deliberately disposed of into the environment, they become debris.Plastics have been identified in terrestrial, freshwater estuarine and marine environments worldwide.There are several sources and pathways for plastics to reach the marine environment e.g.riverine transport from land, or loss at sea from fishing vessels.Plastics are found throughout the marine environment, from urban beaches and highly polluted coastal waters to remote locations including isolated islands, the deep seafloor, and polar regions.Large plastic items, collectively known as macroplastics, are visibly noticeable…
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