Brief Summary

• Microplastics are small fragments of plastic debris which are widespread in the marine environment: at the sea surface, on shorelines and on the sea bed.
• Microplastics are particles less than 5 mm in diameter, but smaller fragments (< 20 mm) are reported including pieces of nylon, polystyrene, polyethylene and PVC.
• Since they occupy the same size fraction as sediment and plankton, microplastics may be ingested by a range of organisms, the ecotoxicological consequences of which remains unknown.
• It has been suggested that microplastics present a mechanism for the transport of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and release of chemical additives to organisms.

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