Abstract: Microplastics are widespread in aquatic ecosystems. When the size of microplastics overlaps with the diet of zooplankton, they would be ingested by zooplankton. Zooplankton is a crucial food source for many secondary consumers. Microplastics can be transferred along the food chain, with negative impacts on the whole food web and even human beings. Based on the sources of microplastics in water environment, we described the distribution characteristics of microplastics in seawater and fresh water systems, analyzed their toxic effects on zooplankton, and pointed out the existing problems and prospects. This review enriched our understanding of the biological effects of microplastics pollution on zooplankton, and laid a foundation for the study of mechanism and biochemical reaction of microplastics in water environment.

Key words: microplastic, zooplankton, toxicity, aquatic environment.