We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Toward an Improved Understanding of the Ingestion and Trophic Transfer of Microplastic Particles: Critical Review and Implications for Future Research
Summary
A comprehensive review of over 800 species found that while microplastics are routinely found in the digestive tracts of aquatic organisms, they do not appear to bioaccumulate or biomagnify through food webs, with over 99% of observations locating particles in the gastrointestinal tract rather than tissues. The review calls for more standardized sampling and reporting to enable better temporal and spatial trend analysis.
Microplastic particles have been observed in the environment and routinely detected in the stomachs and intestines of aquatic organisms over the last 50 yr. In the present review, information on the ingestion of plastic debris of varying sizes is collated, including data for >800 species representing approximately 87 000 individual organisms, for which plastic debris and microplastic particles have been observed in approximately 17 500, or 20%. The average reported number of microplastic particles/individual across all studies is estimated to be 4, with studies typically reporting averages ranging from 0 to 10 particles/individual. A general observation is that although strong evidence exists for the biological ingestion of microplastic particles, they do not bioaccumulate and do not appear to be subject to biomagnification as a result of trophic transfer through food webs, with >99% of observations from field-based studies reporting that microplastic particles are located within the gastrointestinal tract. Overall, there is substantial heterogeneity in how samples are collected, processed, analyzed, and reported, causing significant challenges in attempting to assess temporal and spatial trends or helping to inform a mechanistic understanding. Nevertheless, several studies suggest that the characteristics of microplastic particles ingested by organisms are generally representative of plastic debris in the vicinity where individuals are collected. Monitoring of spatial and temporal trends of ingested microplastic particles could thus potentially be useful in assessing mitigation efforts aimed at reducing the emission of plastic and microplastic particles to the environment. The development and application of standardized analytical methods are urgently needed to better understand spatial and temporal trends. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1119-1137. © 2020 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Microplastic in freshwater ecosystem: bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, and biomagnification
This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic bioaccumulation and trophic transfer in freshwater ecosystems, finding that while ingestion by freshwater organisms is well-documented, biomagnification through food chains remains poorly understood and requires further investigation.
Trophic transfer of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems: Identifying critical research needs
This review analyzed the available literature on trophic transfer of microplastics in aquatic food webs, identifying key factors — particle size, shape, density, and organism feeding behavior — that determine whether microplastics pass through organisms or accumulate. The authors conclude that biomagnification of microplastics remains poorly understood and requires targeted research.
Worldwide contamination of fish with microplastics: A brief global overview
A literature review from March 2019 to March 2020 synthesized worldwide data on microplastic contamination in fish, finding that a median of 60% of fish from 198 species across 24 countries contained microplastics in their organs. Carnivorous species ingested more microplastics than herbivores, consistent with trophic transfer and bioaccumulation through food webs.
Microplastic in tissue of marine organisms
This review summarizes microplastic detection across various marine organism tissues, cataloging accumulation in fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals and highlighting that ingestion and trophic transfer are widespread across marine food webs.
Microplastics in aquatic organisms: Improving understanding and identifying research directions for the next decade
This meta-analysis reviews a decade of research on microplastic ingestion by aquatic organisms, from tiny plankton to large fish. It identifies major knowledge gaps, including the long-term health effects of ingestion and what happens as microplastics move up the food chain toward human consumers.