Effects of Micro-Plastics in the Environment and Aqueous

Disposal of micro-plastics to land, oceans, lakes and rivers has become a global environmental problem. The sources of micro-plastics in the environment are divided into two primary sources, such as cosmetic and sanitary and secondary materials, such as plastic bags which may degrade slowly by the time. The importance of micro-plastics and their effects in aqueous media and other environments are discussed in the present study. The present study is a review on the results of the search in the Iranian and international bases of Elsevier, Springer, Pubmed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, SID, CIVILICA, Google, Irandoc, Magiran. In English, the combination of the words "Micro Plastic", "Environment", "Water Resource," and in Persian "Micro Plastic", "Water Resources" and "Environment" were used. The results were categorized in three sections: micro-plastics in water and environments, micro-plastics in the soil and beaches, and micro-platics in food and the related health concerns. According to the findings and observations of these materials, they can have adverse effects on the environment and living organisms due to their inherent toxicity, chemical composition, being non-degradable in nature and having the potential of bioaccumulation of pathogenic microorganisms and cause the changes in ecosystems. It is therefore suggested that the production and supply of cosmetics, plastics, and the use of plastic bags be reduced to the possible extent, or rigorous laws should be adopted. In addition, scientific study is necessary to achieve the potential for micro-plastic to enter the country's water resources.