Year: 2014
Type: report
Abstract: This report reviews the current understanding of the occurrence, distribution and effects of microplastics on the marine environment. \n\nMost members of the public are aware of, or have seen the impacts of, litter\npollution on the marine environment, so common are scenes of beaches\ncovered in litter. The extent of this pollution is such that the amount of\nmarine litter found along the Norwegian coast and the coast of Svalbard has\nbeen described as unacceptable. Much of this litter is in the form of plastic,\nwith global use and production steadily increasing since mass production\nstarted in the 1940s, annual global production is now close to 300 million\ntonnes. What we don’t see is plastic in the form of very small particles, socalled\n‘microplastics’ that pollutes much of the marine environment. This\nreport reviews the current understanding of the occurrence, distribution and\neffects of microplastics on the marine environment.
Source: BIBSYS Brage (BIBSYS (Norway))
Language: English
Subfield: Pollution
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2482343217