Are Microplastics Harmful?
The ecotoxicological assessment of microplastics in the environment is a complex task
- Publication
- Citation
Ecologic Institute (2022): Plastics in the Environment. Are microplastics harmful? Infographic CC-BY 4.0. Online: https://bmbf-plastik.de/en/publication/are-microplastics-harmful
Whether or not microplastics have harmful effects on plants and animals has not yet been conclusively established. The different properties of microplastics determine whether and how the microplastics are absorbed by living organisms and whether they are harmful to them. Compared to other pollutants in the environment (e.g. pesticides), microplastics do not have a uniform effect on living organisms. In addition, the effects of microplastics often cannot be distinguished from the harmful effects of other particles and substances found in the environment.
You can download the infopgraphic as a poster (A2).
The infographic is licensed under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 license, i.e. it may be used and adapted if Ecologic Institute is named as the author.