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Bioaccumulation and Trophic Transfer of Microplastics in Aquatic Invertebrates: A Trait-Habitat-Particle (THP) Framework
Summary
Small water creatures like shellfish and worms readily eat tiny plastic particles from their water and food, and since many of these animals end up on our dinner plates, this matters for what ends up in human diets too. This review of 66 studies found clear evidence that microplastics build up in these animals' bodies, but scientists still don't have solid proof that plastic levels get more concentrated as they move up the food chain (from small prey to bigger predators, and eventually to us). The bottom line: we know microplastics are getting into the base of aquatic food webs, but more research is needed to understand exactly how much makes it up to the seafood we eat.
Microplastic pollution has emerged as a pervasive stressor in aquatic ecosystems, with aquatic invertebrates playing central roles in particle uptake, retention, and transfer within food webs. This review synthesises evidence on microplastic ingestion, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, and biomagnification across major aquatic invertebrate groups, including arthropods, molluscs, sediment-associated worms, suspension feeders, and echinoderms. A structured literature search identified 66 studies spanning freshwater, estuarine, and marine environments. Evidence indicates that microplastic uptake occurs through multiple pathways, including filter feeding, deposit feeding, grazing, and predator–prey interactions. Across the reviewed studies, feeding strategy, habitat-specific exposure, and particle characteristics were recurrently associated with variation in microplastic ingestion, retention, and trophic transfer. While ingestion and bioaccumulation were widely documented, quantitative understanding of trophic transfer within aquatic invertebrate food webs remained limited, and no conclusive evidence of biomagnification was identified. To interpret recurring patterns, this review proposes the Trait–Habitat–Particle (THP) framework as a conceptual tool linking biological and functional traits, habitat-mediated exposure, and particle properties. Methodological inconsistencies, limited representation of certain taxa and habitats, and insufficient quantification of trophic transfer remain important knowledge gaps. Future research should prioritise methodological standardisation and ecologically realistic long-term studies.