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Microplastic contamination across trophic levels in a lowland spring watercourse of Northwestern Italy: New insights and biomonitoring implications

Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 2025 1 citation ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 43 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Monia Renzi, Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Giuseppe Esposito, Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Marco Bertoli, Marco Bertoli, Marco Bertoli, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Serena Anselmi, Paolo Pastorino Elisabetta Pizzul, Monia Renzi, Marco Bertoli, Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Monia Renzi, Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Antonia Concetta Elia, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Marino Prearo, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Elisabetta Pizzul, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Paolo Pastorino Monia Renzi, Paolo Pastorino Marco Bertoli, Marino Prearo, Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Serena Anselmi, Tecla Bentivoglio, Marino Prearo, Marino Prearo, Giuseppe Esposito, Serena Anselmi, Marino Prearo, Marino Prearo, Paolo Pastorino Marino Prearo, Marco Bertoli, Serena Anselmi, Antonia Concetta Elia, Tecla Bentivoglio, Serena Anselmi, Marino Prearo, Marino Prearo, Giuseppe Esposito, Tecla Bentivoglio, Tecla Bentivoglio, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Tecla Bentivoglio, Tecla Bentivoglio, Tecla Bentivoglio, Tecla Bentivoglio, Tecla Bentivoglio, Tecla Bentivoglio, Tecla Bentivoglio, Marco Bertoli, Tecla Bentivoglio, Tecla Bentivoglio, Elisabetta Pizzul, Tecla Bentivoglio, Monia Renzi, Tecla Bentivoglio, Antonia Concetta Elia, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Marco Bertoli, Serena Anselmi, Tecla Bentivoglio, Serena Anselmi, Tecla Bentivoglio, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Tecla Bentivoglio, Serena Anselmi, Paolo Pastorino Tecla Bentivoglio, Serena Anselmi, Giuseppe Esposito, Giuseppe Esposito, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Paolo Pastorino Marino Prearo, Tecla Bentivoglio, Paolo Pastorino Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Tecla Bentivoglio, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Tecla Bentivoglio, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Elisabetta Pizzul, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Marino Prearo, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Marco Bertoli, Giuseppe Esposito, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Giuseppe Esposito, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Giuseppe Esposito, Giorgia Goriup, Tecla Bentivoglio, Tecla Bentivoglio, Paolo Pastorino Serena Anselmi, Tecla Bentivoglio, Paolo Pastorino Paolo Pastorino Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Antonia Concetta Elia, Marino Prearo, Marino Prearo, Marino Prearo, Marco Bertoli, Giorgia Goriup, Tecla Bentivoglio, Tecla Bentivoglio, Tecla Bentivoglio, Serena Anselmi, Paolo Pastorino Antonia Concetta Elia, Marino Prearo, Paolo Pastorino Giuseppe Esposito, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Elisabetta Pizzul, Marino Prearo, Serena Anselmi, Serena Anselmi, Elisabetta Pizzul, Elisabetta Pizzul, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Antonia Concetta Elia, Paolo Pastorino Serena Anselmi, Antonia Concetta Elia, Monia Renzi, Elisabetta Pizzul, Marino Prearo, Marino Prearo, Serena Anselmi, Paolo Pastorino Antonia Concetta Elia, Antonia Concetta Elia, Antonia Concetta Elia, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Paolo Pastorino Marino Prearo, Elisabetta Pizzul, Marino Prearo, Antonia Concetta Elia, Monia Renzi, Marino Prearo, Marino Prearo, Tecla Bentivoglio, Tecla Bentivoglio, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Elisabetta Pizzul, Monia Renzi, Antonia Concetta Elia, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Marino Prearo, Elisabetta Pizzul, Monia Renzi, Paolo Pastorino Monia Renzi, Elisabetta Pizzul, Monia Renzi, Elisabetta Pizzul, Giuseppe Esposito, Antonia Concetta Elia, Marino Prearo, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Marino Prearo, Elisabetta Pizzul, Elisabetta Pizzul, Marino Prearo, Marino Prearo, Monia Renzi, Monia Renzi, Paolo Pastorino Marino Prearo, Marino Prearo, Giuseppe Esposito, Giuseppe Esposito, Elisabetta Pizzul, Paolo Pastorino Marino Prearo, Antonia Concetta Elia, Paolo Pastorino

Summary

Microplastic contamination was measured across trophic levels (algae, invertebrates, fish) in a lowland river ecosystem, finding that concentrations increased in organisms at higher levels of the food web. The trophic transfer data suggest that microplastics bioaccumulate through freshwater food chains.

Study Type Environmental

Microplastic (MP) pollution is an emerging environmental threat, with freshwater ecosystems acting as both transport pathways and accumulation zones for these synthetic particles. Despite growing research, data on MP contamination in small, lowland spring watercourses remain scarce. This study investigates MP distribution in the Sacchetti Ditch, a lowland spring-fed stream in Northwestern Italy, through by-monthly sampling over one year, leading to insights about seasonal trends. MP occurrence was analyzed in water, sediment, and biotic compartments, including fish, macroinvertebrates, and bivalves. MP concentrations in water ranged from 27.2 ± 47.1 MP L (March) to 61.2 ± 20.4 MP L (May), while sediment levels peaked at 358.6 ± 224.1 MP kg in January. Fragments and fibers dominated across matrices, with black, red, and blue as the most common colors. Statistical analyses revealed no significant temporal trends, suggesting continuous MP inputs from untreated wastewater discharge, urban runoff, and industrial effluents. Biotic samples confirmed MP ingestion across trophic levels. Gambusia affinis and Gammarus fossarum exhibited the highest MP burdens in winter, while Unio elongatulus showed a strong correlation with waterborne MPs. Polymer analysis identified polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyamide (PA), with PP showing significant selective ingestion by U. elongatulus. Non-Metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling (NMDS) analysis of seasonal MP content in both biotic and abiotic samples indicated no clear seasonal patterns across trophic levels, reinforcing the role of the ditch as a long-term MPs reservoir. These findings highlight the need for urgent mitigation measures to reduce persistent MP pollution in small freshwater ecosystems.

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