TY - JOUR
T1 - Plastic pollution
T2 - A focus on freshwater biodiversity
AU - Azevedo-Santos, Valter M.
AU - Brito, Marcelo F.G.
AU - Manoel, Pedro S.
AU - Perroca, Júlia F.
AU - Rodrigues-Filho, Jorge Luiz
AU - Paschoal, Lucas R.P.
AU - Gonçalves, Geslaine R.L.
AU - Wolf, Milena R.
AU - Blettler, Martín C.M.
AU - Andrade, Marcelo C.
AU - Nobile, André B.
AU - Lima, Felipe P.
AU - Ruocco, Ana M.C.
AU - Silva, Carolina V.
AU - Perbiche-Neves, Gilmar
AU - Portinho, Jorge L.
AU - Giarrizzo, Tommaso
AU - Arcifa, Marlene S.
AU - Pelicice, Fernando M.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Michel Jégu, for providing photographs used in Fig. a and b. We are grateful to Raoul Henry (UNESP), for providing comments on the first draft of this manuscript, to Nuno M. Pedroso (CENA), for providing literature about Lutra lutra, and to the three reviewers that significantly improved the quality of this document. JFP is funded by FAPESP (#2019/01308-5), MFGB and FMP received CNPq research grants, and LRPP received FATEC grants. MCA is funded by PNPD/CAPES (# 2017-6; Finance Code 001), TG received a productivity grant from CNPq (#311078/2019-2), and JLP is funded by PNPD/CAPES (Process Number 88887.473604/2020-00).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
PY - 2021/2/4
Y1 - 2021/2/4
N2 - Plastics are dominant pollutants in freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Scientific studies that investigated the interaction between plastics and freshwater biodiversity are incipient, especially if compared to the marine realm. In this review, we provide a brief overview of plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems around the world. We found evidence of plastic ingestion by 206 freshwater species, from invertebrates to mammals, in natural or semi-natural ecosystems. In addition, we reported other consequences of synthetic polymers in freshwater ecosystems—including, for instance, the entanglement of animals of different groups (e.g., birds). The problem of plastic pollution is complex and will need coordinated actions, such as recycling programs, correct disposal, stringent legislation, regular inspection, replacement of synthetic polymers with other materials, and ecological restoration. Current information indicates that the situation in freshwater ecosystems may be as detrimental as the pollution found in the ocean, although highly underappreciated.
AB - Plastics are dominant pollutants in freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Scientific studies that investigated the interaction between plastics and freshwater biodiversity are incipient, especially if compared to the marine realm. In this review, we provide a brief overview of plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems around the world. We found evidence of plastic ingestion by 206 freshwater species, from invertebrates to mammals, in natural or semi-natural ecosystems. In addition, we reported other consequences of synthetic polymers in freshwater ecosystems—including, for instance, the entanglement of animals of different groups (e.g., birds). The problem of plastic pollution is complex and will need coordinated actions, such as recycling programs, correct disposal, stringent legislation, regular inspection, replacement of synthetic polymers with other materials, and ecological restoration. Current information indicates that the situation in freshwater ecosystems may be as detrimental as the pollution found in the ocean, although highly underappreciated.
KW - Entanglement
KW - Ingestion
KW - Inland waters
KW - Law
KW - Microplastic
KW - Plants
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099104306&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85099104306&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s13280-020-01496-5
DO - 10.1007/s13280-020-01496-5
M3 - Review article
C2 - 33543362
AN - SCOPUS:85099104306
SN - 0044-7447
VL - 50
SP - 1313
EP - 1324
JO - AMBIO
JF - AMBIO
IS - 7
ER -
