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Exploring the trophic transfer and effects of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems: A focus on Bellamya aeruginosa to Mylopharyngodon piceus
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This study tracked how microplastics transfer through a freshwater food chain, from snails to a commercially important fish species in China. The fish steadily accumulated microplastics over five weeks of eating contaminated snails, with particles moving from the gut into muscle tissue and altering gut bacteria to include more potentially harmful species -- highlighting how microplastics in aquatic food chains could ultimately reach people who eat fish.
Microplastics (MPs) can enter aquatic food webs through direct ingestion from the environment or indirectly via trophic transfer, but their fate and biological effects within local freshwater food chains remain largely unexplored. In this study, we conducted the first investigation on the trophic transfer and impacts of fluorescently labeled polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) (100-nm and 10-μm) in a model freshwater food chain consisting of the snail Bellamya aeruginosa and the commercially important fish Mylopharyngodon piceus, both prevalent in Chinese freshwater ecosystems. Quantitative analysis revealed substantial accumulation of MPs in B. aeruginosa, reaching an equilibrium state within 12 h of exposure. While steady-state was not observed, a pronounced time-dependent bioaccumulation of MPs was evident in M. piceus over a five-week period following dietary exposure through the consumption of contaminated B. aeruginosa. Notably, MPs of both sizes underwent translocation from the gastrointestinal tract to the muscle tissue in M. piceus. High-throughput sequencing of the gut microbiota revealed that exposure to 100-nm MPs significantly altered the microbial community composition in M. piceus, and both particle sizes led to increased relative abundance of potentially pathogenic bacterial genera. Our findings provide novel insights into the trophic transfer, tissue accumulation, and biological impacts of MPs in a model freshwater food chain, highlighting the need for further research to assess the ecological and food safety risks associated with microplastic pollution in freshwater environments.
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Researchers examined microplastic contamination in the gills and digestive tracts of five fish species from a Chinese lake, finding that fish eating a wider variety of foods accumulated more particles. Different plastic polymer types dominated in different tissues, confirming that microplastics move through freshwater food webs and reach fish that humans consume.
Microplastic exposure across trophic levels: effects on the host–microbiota of freshwater organisms
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Researchers examined how microplastic exposure across trophic levels affects the gut microbiota of freshwater organisms, finding that microplastics alter microbial community composition and that effects can transfer through food web interactions.
Trophic transfer, bioaccumulation and translocation of microplastics in an international listed wetland on the Montreux record
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Researchers assessed microplastic contamination across four edible aquatic species at different trophic levels in an internationally listed wetland in the Anzali ecosystem. They examined microplastics in gastrointestinal tracts, gills, and muscle tissue to evaluate trophic transfer and bioaccumulation patterns. The study found evidence that microplastics accumulate through the food chain, raising concerns about human exposure through consumption of contaminated freshwater species.
Microplastics in Tai lake food web: Trophic transfer and human health risk assessment
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Researchers modeled the flow of microplastics through the entire food web of Tai Lake, China, and estimated the amount that ultimately reaches humans who eat seafood from the lake. They found that microplastics accumulate at each level of the food chain, with top predators and human consumers receiving the highest concentrations. The study provides a quantitative framework for assessing human health risks from microplastic contamination in freshwater ecosystems that support fishing and tourism industries.
Fate and effects of microplastic particles in a periphyton-grazer system
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This study examined how microplastic particles interact with periphyton, the biofilm communities coating underwater surfaces, and whether plastics transfer to grazing snails that feed on them. Researchers found that microplastics accumulated in periphyton and were then consumed by the freshwater snail Physa acuta, demonstrating a pathway for plastics to move through the aquatic food web from biofilms to animals.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.