Microplastic debris in sandhoppers

Microplastics on beaches: ingestion and behavioural consequences for beachhoppers

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Researchers showed that beach-dwelling amphipods (beachhoppers) ingest microplastics and subsequently show altered predator-avoidance and social behaviors, suggesting plastic contamination can disrupt the survival instincts of small coastal animals in ways that may ripple up through food webs.

Microplastics in Biota

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Microplastics have been detected in biota across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, demonstrating their ability to enter food webs at multiple trophic levels. Their omnipresence in living organisms raises concerns about bioaccumulation of both the plastic particles and the chemical additives and adsorbed pollutants they carry.

Microplastics in Biota

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Researchers summarized evidence that microplastics have infiltrated living organisms across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, posing a broad threat to biodiversity. Their persistence in biological tissues means they can accumulate up the food chain, ultimately reaching humans through diet.

Insect Interactions with Microplastics Under Different Ecosystems

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This review examines how insects interact with microplastics across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, including ingestion, bioaccumulation, and trophic transfer to insectivorous predators. Insects are key links in food webs connecting environmental microplastic contamination to vertebrate animals and humans, making their role in microplastic transfer a critical and underappreciated exposure pathway.

Microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems and their effects on macroinvertebrates