Polymer composition, pollution load, and ecological–human risk assessment of microplastics in surface sediments and Oreochromis niloticus from Kisumu Bay, Lake Victoria

Occurrence and Effects of Microplastics in Lake Ecosystems: Particular Focus on Migration in Water and Food Chains

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This review synthesizes findings on microplastic occurrence, sources, and ecological effects in lake ecosystems worldwide, with a focus on how microplastics migrate through water columns and accumulate across aquatic food chains. Lakes are critical freshwater resources for drinking water and fisheries, making the documented bioaccumulation and toxicity of microplastics in lake food webs a direct public health concern.

Impact of ingested microplastics on phenotypic traits and biochemical parameters in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) juvenile

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Juvenile Nile tilapia exposed to microplastics showed significantly lower survival rates, reduced body weight, smaller eye diameter, elevated superoxide dismutase activity, and reduced catalase activity compared to controls, indicating physiological stress and impaired antioxidant defense. These dose-response effects on a widely farmed species provide direct evidence that microplastic ingestion compromises fish growth and survival, with implications for aquaculture productivity and the integrity of fish-based food systems.

The occurrence of microplastic in aquatic environment and toxic effects for organisms

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"This review synthesized global research on microplastic occurrence in aquatic environments, finding that microplastics are widespread across all water bodies and can trigger inflammation, impair reproduction, and carry co-contaminants such as heavy metals, organic pollutants, and additives into organisms via bioaccumulation. The evidence underscores the need for stricter plastic emissions standards and improved water management, as aquatic microplastic pollution directly cascades into human dietary exposure through seafood and drinking water."

Influence of microplastic on the aquatic ecosystem

Microplastics menace: the new emerging lurking environmental issue, a review on sampling and quantification in aquatic environments

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Researchers reviewed current methods for detecting and measuring microplastics in water, finding that inconsistent sampling and analysis techniques make it difficult to compare data across studies, and calling for standardized, automated methods to enable reliable monitoring of this growing contaminant.