Concept image to ilustrate marine micopastic pollution. Plastic trash, like the duck of this photo, degrades under the effect of sunlight and the mechanical action of wind and waves. It begins to become brittle and slowly fractures into pieces which in turn are also crumbling into smaller and smaller particles. These micro plastics and other directly derived hygiene products are consumed by various marine animals and their larvae which mistake them for food, and can be consumed by humans too via seafood, tap water or other food. The risk to people is still not known, but there are concerns that microplastics can accumulate toxic chemicals and that the tiniest could enter the bloodstream.