Papers

Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of microplastics in marine organisms: A review and meta-analysis of current data

This meta-analysis reviews current evidence on whether microplastics accumulate and concentrate as they move up the marine food chain. The findings have direct implications for seafood safety, since biomagnification would mean that larger predatory fish consumed by humans could contain higher concentrations of microplastics and their associated chemical additives.

Understanding plasticiser leaching from polystyrene microplastics

Researchers studied how plasticiser chemicals leach out of polystyrene microplastics into surrounding water, testing both phthalate and bisphenol additives. They found that leaching rates depended on the chemical type, water temperature, and salinity, with some plasticisers releasing more readily in saltwater conditions. The findings help explain how microplastics serve as a source of potentially harmful chemical additives in ocean and freshwater environments.

Evaluating the Effect of Chemical Digestion Treatments on Polystyrene Microplastics: Recommended Updates to Chemical Digestion Protocols

Researchers evaluated how common chemical reagents used to extract microplastics from biological samples affect polystyrene particles. They found that nitric acid was the most destructive to the plastics, while alkaline and oxidative reagents caused negligible changes. The study recommends updating standard laboratory protocols to avoid accidentally damaging microplastics during extraction, which could lead to inaccurate pollution measurements.

Relevance and reliability of evidence for microplastic contamination in seafood: A critical review using Australian consumption patterns as a case study

Researchers critically reviewed evidence on microplastic contamination in seafood, using Australian consumption patterns as a case study to assess human exposure risk. They found that while microplastics have been documented in many commercial marine species, most contamination is found in tissues that are not typically consumed by humans. The study concludes that current evidence does not support significant dietary microplastic exposure from seafood but calls for better standardized research methods.

Assessment of microplastic bioconcentration, bioaccumulation and biomagnification in a simple coral reef food web

Researchers assessed microplastic bioconcentration, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification across three trophic levels in a coral reef food web, including zooplankton, benthic crustaceans, and reef fish. The study suggests that microplastics accumulate differently depending on species and trophic position, providing important baseline data for understanding ecological risks of microplastic contamination in coral reef ecosystems.

Taking control of microplastics data: A comparison of control and blank data correction methods

Researchers compared six commonly used methods for correcting microplastic data using procedural controls and blanks, finding significant variability in results depending on the correction method chosen and highlighting the urgent need for standardized data quality protocols.

An assessment workflow to recover microplastics from complex biological matrices

Researchers developed an assessment workflow for recovering microplastics from complex marine biological matrices, finding that potassium hydroxide digestion was most effective across coral, sponge, sea squirt, and sea cucumber tissues while minimizing damage to plastic particles.

Plastics for dinner: Store-bought seafood, but not wild-caught from the Great Barrier Reef, as a source of microplastics to human consumers

Researchers found that store-bought seafood in Australia contained significantly more microplastics than wild-caught species from the Great Barrier Reef, suggesting that processing and packaging contribute substantially to microplastic contamination in commercial seafood.

Quantifying capture and ingestion of live feeds across three coral species

Researchers compared methods for measuring coral feeding rates and found that direct polyp dissection with fluorescent microbead-labeled prey provided more accurate quantification of feed ingestion than indirect capture rate approaches across three coral species.

Ingestion and Depuration of Microplastics by a Planktivorous Coral Reef Fish, Pomacentrus amboinensis

Researchers exposed a coral reef planktivorous fish (Pomacentrus amboinensis) to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics and found ingestion in all exposed fish, with most particles cleared within 48 hours of depuration, suggesting rapid gut turnover limits longer-term accumulation under realistic conditions.

Predicting microplastic dynamics in coral reefs: presence, distribution, and bioavailability through field data and numerical simulation analysis

Researchers combined field sampling at Australia's Lizard Island with numerical hydrodynamic modeling to map microplastic distribution across reef habitats and assess bioavailability to corals, fish, sponges, and other species. Sediment was the dominant accumulation zone, biota contained microplastics at concentrations reflecting feeding strategies, and model simulations predicted particle trajectories within the reef system.

Microplastic Contamination Has Limited Effects on Coral Fertilisation and Larvae

Laboratory experiments exposing the reef-building coral Acropora tenuis to fifteen types of microplastics found only limited effects on gamete fertilization, embryo development, and larval settlement at realistic environmental concentrations. While corals are known to ingest plastics and suffer tissue damage, the reproductive stage may be more resilient than other life stages.

Recovering microplastics from marine samples: A review of current practices

This review compared the published methods for separating and identifying microplastics from seawater, sediment, and marine organisms, assessing their efficiency, processing time, and potential to damage particles. It highlights the lack of standardized protocols as a major barrier to comparing results across studies.

Plasticiser leaching from polyvinyl chloride microplastics and the implications for environmental risk assessment

Researchers measured the leaching of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and bisphenol A (BPA) from polyvinyl chloride microplastics under simulated marine conditions, finding that both plasticizers leached in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. These findings are important for environmental risk assessments of PVC microplastics, which represent a major fraction of ocean plastic pollution.

An integrated, tiered microplastic workflow, supporting rapid broadscale detection options

Researchers developed an integrated, tiered microplastic analytical workflow supporting rapid broadscale detection options, designed to enable coordinated and harmonized large-scale monitoring initiatives that address current limitations in assessing microplastic presence, distribution, and environmental impacts.

Temporal patterns of plastic contamination in surface waters at the SS Yongala shipwreck, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Researchers conducted three years of monthly plastic sampling at the SS Yongala shipwreck site on the Great Barrier Reef, detecting plastic contamination in virtually every sample and finding that wind speed, salinity, and river discharge — but not current speed — drove fluctuations in microplastic concentrations, with no significant long-term trend.

Viral ecogenomics across the Porifera

Researchers analyzed viral genetic material across multiple sponge species to understand what roles viruses play in the biology of marine sponges, finding that viruses contribute diverse and potentially beneficial functions to these reef-dwelling organisms. Understanding sponge-virus interactions matters for reef ecosystem health, which is increasingly threatened by plastic pollution and climate change.

Improved microplastic processing from complex biological samples using a customized vacuum filtration apparatus

Researchers developed a customized vacuum filtration apparatus to improve the processing of microplastics from complex biological marine samples, addressing longstanding methodological barriers in accurately separating and quantifying particles smaller than 5 mm. The system aims to reduce contamination and sample loss that have hindered standardization across microplastic monitoring studies in both abiotic and biotic compartments.

Plasticiser Leaching from Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastics and the Implications for Environmental Risk Assessment

Validation of an optimised protocol for quantification of microplastics in heterogenous samples: A case study using green turtle chyme

This paper developed and validated an optimized protocol for extracting and quantifying microplastics from the gut contents of marine organisms. Having a reliable, standardized method is essential for generating consistent data on microplastic ingestion across different species and studies.