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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Dynamics of microplastic transfer through the food web in a migratory seabird
ClearMicroplastic ingestion by common terns (Sterna hirundo) and their prey during the non-breeding season
Microplastics were found in all 10 common terns and in 53% of their regurgitated prey samples from a South American migratory stopover site, with fibres predominating and cellulose ester plastics, PET, and polyacrylonitrile as the most common polymers, confirming trophic transfer of microplastics.
The hidden cost of following currents: Microplastic ingestion in a planktivorous seabird
Researchers documented microplastic ingestion in Mediterranean storm petrels, finding that these planktivorous seabirds ingest microplastics while foraging in pelagic areas where plastic debris accumulates alongside their planktonic prey in ocean currents.
Ecology of microplastics contamination within food webs of estuarine and coastal ecosystems
This paper describes a methodology for studying how microplastics are distributed seasonally and spatially through an estuary food web, from zooplankton to demersal fish. Understanding the ecology of microplastic transfer in estuaries is essential for assessing human dietary exposure through seafood from these highly productive environments.
Effect of alternative natural diet on microplastic ingestion, functional responses and trophic transfer in a tri-trophic coastal pelagic food web
Researchers studied how microplastics move through a three-level marine food chain, from zooplankton prey to planktivorous fish, and how the availability of natural food affects microplastic ingestion. When natural food was scarce, organisms consumed more microplastics, and the particles transferred efficiently up the food chain. This study demonstrates that microplastics in the ocean can accumulate through the food web and reach fish species that humans commonly eat.
Microplastics and the Impact of Plastic on Wildlife: A Literature Review
This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic ingestion and accumulation in seabirds and wildlife, examining the pathways by which microplastics move through marine food webs and the potential physiological harm to upper-trophic predators.
Incidence of microplastic fiber ingestion by Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) and Roseate Terns (S. dougallii) breeding in the Northwestern Atlantic
Researchers documented microplastic fiber ingestion in Common Terns and Roseate Terns breeding in the Northwestern Atlantic, finding that most ingested particles were synthetic fibers and that microplastic load varied between species and age classes.
Tracing microplastics in environmental sources and migratory shorebirds along the Central Asian Flyway
Researchers tracked microplastic contamination along migratory bird routes in central Asia, testing mudflats, mangroves, and the birds themselves. They found microplastics in both the environment and the digestive tracts of shorebirds, showing that these pollutants are moving through coastal food webs and may be carried across continents by migrating birds.
Microplastic accumulation in the gastrointestinal tracts of nestling and adult migratory birds
Researchers examined microplastic accumulation in the gastrointestinal tracts of both nestling and adult migratory birds across six species, finding widespread plastic ingestion with fibers predominating, suggesting that microplastic exposure begins early in avian life stages.
Exploring transfer of microplastics in the trophic chain: a prey-predator interaction case in the Strait of Messina
Researchers examined the transfer of microplastics across trophic levels in a prey-predator marine food web, tracking particles from prey organisms to predators. The study confirmed trophic transfer of microplastics and found that predators can accumulate higher particle concentrations than their prey.
The threat of microplastics: Exploring pollution in coastal ecosystems and migratory shorebirds along the west coast of India
Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination across ten coastal sites on India's west coast, testing water, sediment, invertebrate prey, and shorebird droppings. Microplastics, mostly fibers, were found in all sample types, with water identified as the primary pathway for spreading plastics through the food chain. The study demonstrates how microplastics move from water through prey animals to top predators, illustrating the food chain transfer that ultimately could affect human seafood consumption.
Trophic transfer of microplastics in Phalacrocorax auritus (Double-Crested Cormorants) and fish in Lake Champlain
This study investigated trophic transfer of microplastics from invertebrates and fish to double-crested cormorants in Lake Champlain, finding microplastics at all trophic levels including in the birds. The results confirm that microplastics move up the food chain and accumulate in top predators, with implications for wildlife health and human consumers of fish.
Exploring transfer of microplastics in the trophic chain: a prey-predator interaction case in the Strait of Messina
This study examined how microplastics transfer through marine food webs via predator-prey interactions, tracking the movement of particles across trophic levels. Results confirmed that microplastics can be transferred from prey to predator and accumulate at higher trophic levels, posing risks to top predators and fisheries.
Accumulation of microplastics in predatory birds near a densely populated urban area
Researchers found microplastics in every single digestive tract examined from four species of predatory birds near a major city, and 65% also had microplastics in their respiratory systems. On average, each bird contained about 8 microplastic particles, mostly fibers, likely ingested through contaminated prey. This is the first study to document microplastic contamination in the breathing organs of birds of prey, showing how plastic pollution moves up the food chain.
Trophic transfer of microplastics in an estuarine food chain and the effects of a sorbed legacy pollutant
Researchers investigated microplastic trophic transfer using a model estuarine food chain of tintinnids (single-celled organisms) and larval silversides fish. They found that fish ingested significantly more microplastics through contaminated prey than through direct exposure, and larvae that consumed DDT-treated microspheres showed increased feeding on contaminated prey. Larvae exposed to microplastics had significantly lower body weight after 16 days, demonstrating that trophic transfer is a meaningful route of microplastic exposure with measurable harmful effects.
Breeding seabirds as vectors of microplastics from sea to land: Evidence from colonies in Arctic Canada
Breeding seabirds were studied as potential vectors transporting microplastics from the sea to land via regurgitation and excretion at colony sites. Evidence from colony soils confirmed that seabirds transfer marine-sourced microplastics to terrestrial environments, with colony sites accumulating elevated microplastic concentrations compared to surrounding habitats.
Exposure to microplastics by pelagic and coastal seabirds from temperate and tropical environments
Researchers examined microplastic exposure in pelagic and coastal seabird species from temperate and tropical marine environments, using the birds' broad spatial distribution and feeding behavior to assess microplastic distribution and concentration patterns across oceanic regions.
Ingestion and transfer of microplastics in the planktonic food web
Researchers demonstrated that microplastics are ingested and transferred through a planktonic food web, with particles passing from primary producers to zooplankton grazers and on to predatory plankton, establishing trophic transfer as a real pathway for microplastic movement through marine food chains.
Investigating microplastic trophic transfer in marine top predators
Researchers investigated whether microplastics can transfer through the food chain by analyzing the scat of captive grey seals and the wild mackerel they were fed. They found microplastics in about half of the seal scat samples and a third of the fish, with similar particle types in both. The study suggests that trophic transfer is a plausible route for microplastics to move up marine food chains to top predators.
Microplastics in the diet of nestling double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), an obligate piscivore in a freshwater ecosystem
Microplastics were found in the diet of double-crested cormorant chicks nesting near the Great Lakes, primarily as plastic fibers. This is one of the first studies to document microplastic ingestion in freshwater fish-eating birds in North America, suggesting the contamination extends through freshwater food webs.
Investigation of Microplastic Accumulation in the Gastrointestinal Tract in Birds of Prey
Microplastics and plastic-associated pollutants were found in the gastrointestinal tracts of birds of prey, confirming that plastic contamination is transferring up food chains to apex predators. This raises concerns about endocrine disruption and toxic accumulation in wildlife and potentially humans.
Uptake and Transfer of Polyamide Microplastics in a Freshwater Mesocosm Study
A freshwater mesocosm study tracked the trophic and ontogenetic transfer of polyamide microplastics through an aquatic food web under near-natural conditions, confirming that particles were transferred between prey and predators at multiple levels. The results demonstrate that microplastic transfer through food webs occurs in realistic community settings, not just isolated laboratory tests.
Ecological impact of microplastic pollution on marine food webs
This review examines how microplastic pollution disrupts marine food webs, tracing the transfer of plastic particles and associated chemicals from plankton through fish to top predators and analyzing the ecological consequences for marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
Microplastic ingestion: Are seabirds more affected than other marine species?
This review examines whether seabirds ingest plastic more frequently than other marine species, finding they are among the most affected groups with high rates of plastic ingestion documented across species. The review discusses factors including foraging behavior, habitat, and ocean plastic concentrations that explain why seabirds are particularly vulnerable.
Impact of Microplastic Ingestion on Commercial Fish: A Trophic-Level Analysis
Researchers analyzed over 1,600 fish from two Colombian estuaries and found a significant link between a fish species' position in the food chain and the amount of microplastics it ingests. Fish that feed at higher levels of the food web accumulated more microplastics, and those that had ingested plastics showed signs of poorer body condition. The findings highlight how microplastics build up through the marine food chain, with potential consequences for both ecosystem and human health.