ABSTRACT
Following the advent of the Industrial Revolution, plastic pollution has
been a serious environmental issue while micro- and nano-plastics have been a cynosure
of researchers’ attention in the twenty-first century. This is due to the
improved knowledge of its ecotoxicological effects and the global pushforward towards
sustainability. There is a growing concern that the increasing presence of
microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) in aquatic habitats poses a threat to
marine life, and it is predicted that nanoplastics will be just as ubiquitous
as macro- and micro-plastics, but far more destructive to living organisms due
to their ability to infiltrate cells. Recent research has shown that marine and
freshwater biota become entangled with plastic litter, which disrupts the
ecosystem. Aquatic creatures are known to absorb and deposit these new
pollutants in their digestive systems, as has been documented in several
studies. More recent research has also examined their co-occurrence and
toxicity with other emerging contaminants, including their prevalence and
effects in food, air, and soil. Using articles extracted from a six-year period
from Scopus, ACS Publications and Google Scholar, this review explores the
origins, fates, occurrence in the food chain, exposure routes, cellular
interactions of microplastics and nano-plastics, in addition to the
ecotoxicological impacts, analytical methods, and the potential remedies for
combating pollution and toxicity. Ultimately, this review is a comprehensive,
updated addendum to available reviews on micro- and nano-plastics.