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Current State of Research on the Prevalence of Microplastics in Aquatic Fish and Their Impact on Health
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Researchers reviewed microplastic contamination in fish across all seven continents, finding marine fish were studied 2.6 times more than freshwater species, and that microplastics trigger oxidative stress, alter biochemical pathways, and accumulate through biotransformation in fish tissues globally.
Tiny plastic particles, known as microplastics, are formed through the degradation of larger plastics and have become ubiquitous in the environment as solid waste, affecting aquatic life. Aquatic organisms, especially fish, ingest these microplastics, which have a negative impact on fish health. This comprehensive review article identified seven continents and their aquatic fish populations affected by microplastic contamination, examining the effects on fish physiology and toxicosis, as well as the nature, size, and types of microplastics. Increasing evidence suggests that microplastics trigger undesirable and hazardous interactions with fish tissue, generating hazardous intermediate metabolites and molecules, including reactive oxygen species. Biotransformation followed by bioaccumulation (and vice versa) may be an essential phenomenon for the toxic response of these emerging microplastic particles. This review summarises the current knowledge on the physicochemical nature of microplastics worldwide and their varying levels of toxicity in aquatic fish, including numerous biochemical pathway alterations in a natural environment in the presence of microplastics. This review identified that benthopelagic fish were used maximally in experiments worldwide to determine the presence of microplastics in their bodies, and marine fish were investigated 2.6 times more than freshwater fish. This article also outlines a future direction, highlighting gaps in advanced microplastic toxicity research, including the omics approach and computational studies, and suggests a few recommendations for monitoring and modifying global microplastic and plastic waste management policies.
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Microplastic Accumulation in Freshwater Fish: Distribution, Sources, and Human Health Implications
Microplastics in Fish: An Emerging Environmental Challenge
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This review synthesized evidence on microplastic bioavailability and accumulation in fish species globally, examining ingestion routes, tissue distribution, and potential health effects on both fish and human consumers. As a major dietary protein source for billions of people, fish contaminated with microplastics represent a direct and quantifiable pathway for human exposure to plastic particles and their adsorbed chemical pollutants.
Microplastic in fish – A global synthesis
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A global synthesis of microplastic ingestion data from marine, freshwater, and estuarine fish found that 49% of sampled fish worldwide had ingested plastic, averaging 3.5 pieces per fish, with freshwater fish and those from aquaculture sources showing higher ingestion rates than wild marine fish. This comprehensive analysis reveals that microplastic contamination of fish — a primary human protein source globally — is now the rule rather than the exception, underscoring urgent risks to food safety.
Microplastics: An Unsafe Pathway from Aquatic Environment to Health—A Review
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics travel from aquatic environments into the human body, tracing pathways through contaminated water, seafood, and aquatic food chains, and highlighting gaps in our understanding of the resulting health risks across multiple organ systems.
Microplastics in Aquatic Systems: Sources, Accumulation, Environmental Impact and Mitigation Strategies
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This review synthesizes how microplastics enter aquatic ecosystems, where they accumulate, and what harm they cause to wildlife and water quality — while also evaluating mitigation strategies, highlighting that both primary sources like microbeads and secondary sources like degrading plastic waste need to be addressed.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.