Due to its detrimental effects, notably on the well-being and biota of the ocean, microplastic contamination is becoming a bigger concern. Because of this, the issue of microplastics in the marine ecosystem is currently a major concern. The purpose of the study is to objectively evaluate the most recent data supporting the impact of microplastic contamination in seawater. When creating the standards for assessing the literature, P.I.C.O. was taken into account. For this inquiry, databases were selected and used throughout the data-collecting process. We checked PubMed, CINAHL, Google, Hinari, and the Cochrane Library. Boolean operators (AND, OR) and keywords were employed in the search to avoid oversaturating the data. Keywords used as per MeSH: Microplastic, plastics, seawater, ocean, pollution, microplastic exposure. The last five years (Since 2017) worth of studies were incorporated. Boolean search for relevant terms used. This limited my query to 188 records through various database searches. Several things were removed because they were unrelated to the study’s subject. Due to its detrimental impact on marine biota, the issue of microplastic contamination in the marine ecosystem is a current concern. Microplastics, which serve as a vector, become stuck with harmful pollutants. It is necessary to implement conservation management strategies and assistance for different educational programs to protect the environment from these hazardous microplastics. Humans are exposed to plastic waste when eating fish tainted with plastic. As a result, there are various outbreaks of chronic diseases, and people suffer the effects. The public’s education on the harmful effects of microplastics is a crucial need in this field. As a result, many inventions would be promoted to decrease the use and consumption of plastic and its products.

Minute plastic subdivisions like microplastics and nanoplastics have recently gained considerable attention because of their toxic effects on the environment and human health. Many plastics have been consumed worldwide regularly, and most are thrown away after a single use. They all end up in the sea and ocean, leading to a large debris of plastic garbage in the marine environment. Different physical and chemical processes occur in the marine ecosystem to degrade the macroplastics into micro- and nano-level plastics. Owing to their small size and large surface area, nanoplastics can easily be ingested into the tissues and organs of various marine species (both vertebrates and invertebrates) and accumulate more toxic materials in them than micro and macroplastics. Several reports have been obtained on the toxicity of plastics and microplastics on marine organisms. Still, till now, a cursory report has been found on the potential risk of nanoplastics in connection with marine life. This review highlights the origins of nanoplastics (NPs), their properties, characterization, and impact on marine ecosystems, along with their remediation and future aspects. The review will also untangle and specify the area of nanoplastics on which further research is urgently needed to better understand its toxic effect and eco-friendly restoration on the environment, especially on marine life.

This first-of-its-kind study systematically assesses the abundance and characteristics of Microplastics (MPs) in different categories of informal open drains (nallas) carrying different liquid waste streams from different functional areas of an Indian city. Such drains are part of the informal urban drainage system that carries wastewater, stormwater, industrial effluent, and rural runoff. Logistical and locational limitations of traditional wastewater (WW) sampling methods severely limit their application in open drains. To overcome sampling challenges owing to complex geography, vast drainage network spread across different functional areas of the entire city, and local challenges, appropriately modified sampling strategies were adopted to collect samples from 35 open WW drains (small/local, intermediatory, and large). MPs (50μm-5mm) were present in a bucket, and net samples obtained from all 35 WW drains. The average MP concentration in WW drains was 4.20 ± 1.40 particles/L (bucket samples) and 5.19 ± 1.32 particles/L (net samples). A declining trend of MPs abundance was observed from larger to smaller drains, confirming that smaller and intermediatory drains (carrying WW from different functional areas of the city) are discharging their MP loads into larger drains. Intermixing different WW streams (municipal WW, stormwater surface runoff, agricultural runoff, and industrial WW) increases MP levels in drains. The local riverine ecosystem is being put at risk by a daily MPs load of 12.6 x 108 particles discharged from 9 larger drains into the local river Kharun. To protect the riverine ecosystem, controlling the high daily MPs load from such drains is important. Diversion of WW drains through constructed wetlands built near river banks can be a cost-effective solution. Because the entire Indian subcontinent and parts of Africa rely mainly on such drains having similar characteristics and local conditions, the findings of this study reflect the status and pattern of MPs pollution in informal drains of the entire Indian subcontinent and can be used by stakeholders and governments to take mitigative and preventive measures to manage the MPs pollution and protect the local riverine ecosystem.