EVALUATION OF THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS BETWEEN MICROPLASTICS AND CLIMATE CHANGE: POTENTIAL THREATS TO MARINE LIFE AND HUMAN HEALTH

Microplastics are pervasive and ubiquitous environmental pollutants to which all living organisms are inevitably exposed. The connection between microplastic pollution and climate change is, yet, largely unexplored. Herein, we examine the interconnectedness between microplastics and climate change; the evidence for potential combined impacts on both marine ecosystems and human health, and provided recommendations for microplastic mitigation. For this purpose, search engines that include PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect were used. The keywords utilized were microplastic pollution, microplastic and climate change, microplastic and human health, microplastic debris, and marine organisms. The publication date range was set between 2013 and 2022 to accommodate 10 years of relevant studies. The study highlighted that marine ecosystems could suffer significantly more damage when microplastics combine with other stressors like climate change. Conversely, climate change can result in more plastic litter entering the marine environment due to temperature rise, tides, and excess flooding. Though the study underlined potential human health risks, these are not currently entirely understood; in general, microplastic adverse effects could be related to their physical and chemical characteristics and concentration exposure. In summary, this study provided a baseline to understand the robust relationship between microplastics and climate change, and their combined potential threats.