Rome, Feb 10 (IANS): The Mediterranean Sea contains a higher density of microplastics than any large marine environment ever measured, said a report recently released by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Some 229,000 tons of plastic are released into the Mediterranean every year, said the report published on Tuesday.

The main source of plastic input into the sea are coastal activities and inefficient waste management, which further worsens in the summer due to the increase in tourist flows and related recreational activities, it added.

The WWF report pointed out that in the Mediterranean Sea there is the highest concentration of microplastics ever measured in the depth of a marine environment: 1.9 million fragments per square metre, Xinhua news agency reported.

Entitled "Plastic pollution in the oceans. Impacts on marine species, biodiversity and ecosystems," the report analyses more than 2,590 studies on plastic pollution in the oceans and provides a comprehensive analysis of its impacts on marine species and ecosystems.

The report was released ahead of the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, which will be held online and in Nairobi, Kenya, from February 28 to March 2.