Twenty years of microplastic pollution research—what have we learned?

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2024-10, Vol.386 (6720), p.eadl2746
• Main Authors: Thompson, Richard C., Courtene-Jones, Winnie, Boucher, Julien, Pahl, Sabine, Raubenheimer, Karen, Koelmans, Albert A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acrylic resins; Agricultural land; Aquatic ecosystems; Bioavailability; Coastal environments; Contaminants; Cosmetics; Debris; Deep sea; Emission measurements; Emissions; Emissions control; Environmental health; Environmental impact; Environmental Influences; Evaluation; Evidence; Food; Food chains; Food webs; Fragmentation; Fragments; Invertebrates; Legislation; Marine chemistry; Microfibers; Microplastics; Mountains; Plastic debris; Plastic pollution; Plastics; Pollution; Pollution research; Pollution studies; Polyamines; Polymers; Polypropylene; Polystyrene; Polystyrene resins; Predators; Prohibition; Risk assessment; Risk perception; Sea ice; Sediments; Social interactions; Tires; Washing machines
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adl2746

Twenty years after the first publication that used the term microplastic, we review current understanding, refine definitions, and consider future prospects. Microplastics arise from multiple sources, including tires, textiles, cosmetics, paint, and the fragmentation of larger items. They are widely distributed throughout the natural environment, with evidence of harm at multiple levels of biological organization. They are pervasive in food and drink and have been detected throughout the human body, with emerging evidence of negative effects. Environmental contamination could double by 2040, and wide-scale harm has been predicted. Public concern is increasing, and diverse measures to address microplastic pollution are being considered in international negotiations. Clear evidence on the efficacy of potential solutions is now needed to address the issue and to minimize the risks of unintended consequences. Twenty years after the term “microplastics” was first used, what do we know about their presence in the environment? Thompson et al . review what we have learned over that interval, including what microplastics are, their sources and sinks, their ecological impacts and risks, the dangers they pose to human health, advances in detection and identification, and prospects for managing and regulating them. The environmental burden of microplastics continues to grow, so a combination of scientific, economic, and social interventions will be necessary to curb that growth. —Jesse Smith