Record Detail

Title	Assessing the impact of exposure to microplastics in fish
Author	Environment Agency
Topic	Litter and Plastics
Year of Completion	Completed 2015.
Status
Region	UK
Abstract	This report presents the findings of research undertaken by Portsmouth University on behalf of the Environment Agency to assess the potential impacts on fish of microplastics in the aquatic environment. Each year approximately 245 million tonnes of plastic are used globally. This production volume, coupled with high durability, has led to widespread accumulation of discarded plastic in landfills and as litter in terrestrial and aquatic habitats worldwide. Once in the environment, plastic debris progressively fragments into smaller pieces. These minute fragments of plastic debris, termed microplastics (particles of plastics with dimensions less than 5 mm) can comprise as much as 85% of plastic debris in the environment. Manufactured microplastics from consumer products, such as cosmetics and industrial abrasives, also enter the aquatic environment.
How to Access	View at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/assessing-the-impact-of-exposure-to-microplastics-in-fish.
Use Constraints
data holder	Environment Agency

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