Microplastic Pollution: A Review of Sources, Environmental Fate, Ecotoxicological Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies

Abstract

The term 'microplastics' was formally introduced in 2004. Due to the widespread use of plastics and their subsequent mismanagement, microplastics have become ubiquitous in China and globally, posing significant threats to ecosystems. Substantial research efforts have yielded critical breakthroughs in understanding and addressing microplastic pollution. This paper systematically analyzes the sources of microplastics, migration patterns, toxic mechanisms, and corresponding environmental governance measures. In terms of the sources of microplastics, the plastic sources in different regions are analyzed, and the plastic components in microplastic-polluted objects are also classified. The migration patterns of microplastics are divided into two categories: biological and non-biological. Non-biological migration includes climate, rainfall, rivers, wind-driven mechanical transport, and biological migration includes food web migration and biological activity carrying. The ecological toxicity of microplastics encompasses environmental pollution, microplastics' direct impact on organisms, including microplastics on plants and humans, and microplastic governance.