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<p>Microplastics generated through the degradation of discarded plastics are pervasive environmental contaminants. Over the past two decades, growing scientific evidence has informed regulatory responses worldwide, with international efforts coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme towards a legally binding global plastics waste treaty (2022-present). In line with this evolving landscape, Canada has implemented a suite of measures to reduce (micro)plastic pollution and advance a circular plastics economy, including leadership in the 2018 G7 Ocean Plastics Charter, national restrictions on select single-use plastics, and regional extended producer responsibility programs. However, regulatory authority in Canada is distributed across federal, provincial, municipal, and Indigenous governments, enabling diverse policy approaches but contributing to uneven policy implementation and enforcement. Additionally, the rapid expansion of microplastics research has not been effectively integrated into regulatory decision-making, resulting in policies that are informed by incomplete and fragmented evidence. Here, we synthesize Canada’s expanding microplastics evidence base alongside its evolving regulatory framework to identify critical knowledge gaps and their implications for environmental management. Microplastics have now been detected across the country’s vast and diverse environmental compartments, with high concentrations near urban centers, coastal regions, the Great Lakes, and the St. Lawrence River. In parallel, aquatic biota, including zooplankton, bivalves, fish, and seabirds, frequently ingest microplastics, and trophic transfer has been observed, raising concerns for ecosystem integrity and food security. However, inconsistent methodologies, ecotoxicological results, and geographical monitoring, particularly northern, mountainous, and rural regions, have hindered both regional and national assessments and limit evaluations of policy effectiveness. Microplastics in terrestrial biota are also largely unexplored. Addressing these knowledge gaps through standardized analytical protocols, expanded geographic monitoring, mechanistic ecotoxicology studies, and effective community partnerships will improve and support evidence-based risk assessments, management, and regulation of microplastics.</p>

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The dynamics and regulation of microplastics in Canada: a review

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月3日

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  • Dongchang Yang,
  • Brian Youden,
  • Naizhen Yu,
  • Maria Donato,
  • Claudia Hodson,
  • Kehinde Oni,
  • Mark Servos,
  • Anthony Mazzocca,
  • Ken Oakes,
  • Xu Zhang

摘要

Microplastics generated through the degradation of discarded plastics are pervasive environmental contaminants. Over the past two decades, growing scientific evidence has informed regulatory responses worldwide, with international efforts coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme towards a legally binding global plastics waste treaty (2022-present). In line with this evolving landscape, Canada has implemented a suite of measures to reduce (micro)plastic pollution and advance a circular plastics economy, including leadership in the 2018 G7 Ocean Plastics Charter, national restrictions on select single-use plastics, and regional extended producer responsibility programs. However, regulatory authority in Canada is distributed across federal, provincial, municipal, and Indigenous governments, enabling diverse policy approaches but contributing to uneven policy implementation and enforcement. Additionally, the rapid expansion of microplastics research has not been effectively integrated into regulatory decision-making, resulting in policies that are informed by incomplete and fragmented evidence. Here, we synthesize Canada’s expanding microplastics evidence base alongside its evolving regulatory framework to identify critical knowledge gaps and their implications for environmental management. Microplastics have now been detected across the country’s vast and diverse environmental compartments, with high concentrations near urban centers, coastal regions, the Great Lakes, and the St. Lawrence River. In parallel, aquatic biota, including zooplankton, bivalves, fish, and seabirds, frequently ingest microplastics, and trophic transfer has been observed, raising concerns for ecosystem integrity and food security. However, inconsistent methodologies, ecotoxicological results, and geographical monitoring, particularly northern, mountainous, and rural regions, have hindered both regional and national assessments and limit evaluations of policy effectiveness. Microplastics in terrestrial biota are also largely unexplored. Addressing these knowledge gaps through standardized analytical protocols, expanded geographic monitoring, mechanistic ecotoxicology studies, and effective community partnerships will improve and support evidence-based risk assessments, management, and regulation of microplastics.