Microplásticos, amenaza invisible en el océano: una revisión desde la química y la biología

A bibliographic review was conducted to delineate the characteristics and effects of mi-croplastics (MP) on marine biota and humans. Articles published between 2010 and 2023 were con-sidered. Upon compilation, duplicate articles were eliminated, and the remaining ones were filtered based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The review of these articles led to the conclusion that the lack of standardized methods is evident. However, optical, spectroscopic, and pyrolysis techniques are predominantly utilized. Consequences on the ecosystems and human health include reduced metabolic energy, morphological changes, oxidative stress, population decline, intestinal problems, among others. The industry offers various options to mitigate the problem, such as filters, biodegra-dation, substitute products, etc. Nevertheless, it is emphasized that the primary measure should be the reduction of production.