Particulate Plastic Distribution and Ecotoxicity in Marine Ecosystems and a Case Study in Thailand

Abstract

The abundance of particulate plastics in marine environments depends on several environmental factors, such as wind currents, coastline geology, and anthropogenic activities. In addition to accumulation in marine organisms, the capacity of particulate plastics in absorbing pollutants from water and transferring them along the food chains is a serious concern. Marine ecosystems, including oceans, deep sea, salt marshes, estuaries, mangroves, and coral reefs, are the largest aquatic ecosystems on earth. When marine debris and marine plastic pollution enter marine ecosystems, they impact fisheries, aquaculture, human health, and food safety. Plastics usually persist in the marine environment over a long period of time without decomposing. Particulate plastics become available to both benthic and pelagic marine organisms. The distribution of particulate plastics on beaches at Phuket Province in the southern part of Thailand was also investigated. The distribution of particulate plastics on beaches at Phuket Province in the southern part of Thailand was also investigated.