Risk of aquaculture-derived microplastics in aquaculture areas: An overlooked issue or a non-issue?

Abstract

Plastic equipment such as fishing nets and foam buoys has been widely used in aquaculture. This kind of equipment would gradually decompose while being subject to the long-term effects of physical, chemical, and biological degradation processes, leading to the release of large amounts of microplastics (MPs) into the local marine environment and the generation of aquaculture-derived MPs (AD-MPs). The rapid growth of aquaculture has resulted in an explosion of AD-MPs with various environmental consequences. The accumulation of MPs in aquatic products was found closely related to the abundance of environmental MPs, suggesting the importance of determining whether AD-MPs increase the risk of MP ingestion by aquatic products and thus endanger aquatic food safety. In this short communication, the ecological and health risks of AD-MPs were discussed and perspectives were proposed for future studies.