Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The Evaluation of Microplastic Reduction in Biofloc Aquaculture for Sustainable Nile Tilapia Cultivation

Researchers evaluated biofloc technology as a strategy to reduce microplastic levels in water and Nile tilapia tissues in aquaculture, using ecological risk assessment to evaluate residual contamination. Biofloc systems reduced MP concentrations in both water and fish tissues compared to conventional systems, supporting biofloc technology as a partial mitigation strategy.

2025 EKSAKTA Berkala Ilmiah Bidang MIPA
Article Tier 2

Study on the dynamics of microplastics in the biofloc system for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) aquaculture

Researchers studied how microplastics behave in biofloc aquaculture systems — where beneficial bacteria clusters are used to improve water quality — finding that microplastics accumulate in both the bacterial clusters and tilapia tissues, with intestinal contamination rising sharply at higher plastic concentrations. The results show that biofloc technology does not protect fish from microplastic exposure and that plastic management is essential for safe aquaculture.

2025 Journal of Ecological Engineering
Article Tier 2

Synergetic Health Effects of Microplastics With Microbe on Tilapia in the Biofloc Technology System

Researchers investigated the combined effects of microplastics and environmental microbes on tilapia health in biofloc aquaculture systems. MP exposure in combination with biofloc microbiome alterations produced synergistic health effects in fish, including immune and metabolic stress, suggesting that aquaculture microbial ecology modulates MP toxicity.

2025 Modern Agriculture
Article Tier 2

The Impact of Biofloc on Fish Growth Indicators and Health Risks Assesment from Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastic Contamination

Researchers evaluated how biofloc technology affects Nile tilapia growth performance and assessed health risks associated with PET microplastic contamination in biofloc aquaculture systems, finding that biofloc improved growth but did not eliminate microplastic-related risks.

2025 EKSAKTA Berkala Ilmiah Bidang MIPA
Article Tier 2

Biofloc Technology in Fish Aquaculture: A Review

This review examines biofloc technology, a method of fish farming that uses beneficial microbial communities to improve water quality and fish health. While not directly about microplastics, the technology is relevant because it could reduce the environmental footprint of aquaculture and potentially limit fish exposure to waterborne contaminants. Healthier aquaculture practices may help produce safer fish for human consumption in an era of increasing water pollution.

2023 Antioxidants 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Multifunctional Applications of Biofloc Technology (BFT) in Sustainable Aquaculture: A Review

This review explores the broader applications of biofloc technology beyond its traditional use in aquaculture feed and water purification. Researchers found that microbial aggregates in biofloc systems can help remove microplastics and heavy metals from water through combined physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms. The study highlights the technology's potential for environmental remediation and circular resource management, though challenges remain in scaling up these systems.

2025 Fishes 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics inhibit biofloc formation and alter microbial community composition and nitrogen transformation function in aquaculture

Microplastics were found to inhibit biofloc formation in aquaculture systems and alter microbial community composition and nitrogen transfer processes. The findings raise concerns about the growing use of intensive biofloc-based aquaculture in areas where microplastic contamination is prevalent.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics biodegradation by biofloc-producing bacteria: An inventive biofloc technology approach

Researchers investigated biofloc-producing bacteria as a novel approach to biodegrade microplastics in aquaculture systems, finding that certain floc-forming bacterial strains can break down plastic particles while simultaneously improving water quality in culture environments.

2022 Microbiological Research 36 citations
Article Tier 2

The Importance of Flocculating Agents in Biofloc Aquaculture System: New Flocculants and Their Performance on Water Quality, Sludge Production, Heavy Metals, and Microplastic

This review examines the role of flocculating agents in biofloc technology aquaculture systems, assessing how different flocculants affect water quality, sludge production, heavy metal dynamics, and microplastic accumulation. The authors evaluated new flocculant types and their performance as part of efforts to optimize sustainable, high-productivity aquaculture systems.

2025 Annals of Animal Science
Article Tier 2

Biofloc Microbiome With Bioremediation and Health Benefits

Researchers reviewed the biofloc system, an aquaculture technology in which heterotrophic microbial communities form aggregates that naturally treat water and serve as a supplemental food source for farmed aquatic animals. The microbial communities in biofloc systems help maintain water quality by consuming nutrient waste while also boosting the growth, immunity, and disease resistance of the host organisms. The review highlights biofloc technology as a sustainable, cost-effective approach to aquaculture that reduces the need for water exchange and artificial feeding.

2021 Frontiers in Microbiology 83 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofloc Application Using Aquaponics and Vertical Aquaculture Technology in Aquaculture: Review

This review examines biofloc technology as a sustainable aquaculture approach that uses microbial communities to improve water quality and reduce disease spread without requiring water exchange. Researchers discuss how integrating biofloc with aquaponics and vertical aquaculture systems can further enhance production efficiency. The study notes that while biofloc technology offers environmental benefits over traditional aquaculture, challenges like water quality fluctuations and microplastic contamination need to be addressed.

2023 Fishes 13 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effects of Microplastics on Floc Formation, Nutrient Removal and Settleability in Wastewater Treatment

Researchers examined the interactions of microplastics with activated sludge in wastewater treatment plants, investigating effects on floc formation, nutrient removal efficiency, and settleability to understand how microplastic contamination may compromise treatment performance.

2024
Article Tier 2

Impacts of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) exposed to microplastics in bioflocs system

Researchers assessed the effects of polystyrene microplastics on Nile tilapia raised in a bioflocs aquaculture system over 28 days. While the microplastics did not significantly affect water quality, fish growth, or digestive enzymes, they accumulated most heavily in the liver and increased markers of oxidative stress. The findings suggest that even in biofloc systems rich in beneficial microbes, microplastics can still accumulate in fish organs and cause subtle biological harm.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Size dependent effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on the nitrogen cycle of microbial flocs

Researchers found that nano- and microplastics reduce the nitrogen cycling capacity of microbial flocs used in aquaculture, with smaller nanoplastics causing greater disruption than larger microplastics in a size-dependent toxicity pattern.

2023 Chemosphere 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Correlation of Water Quality with Microplastic Exposure Prevalence in Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Researchers exposed tilapia to polyethylene microplastics at three concentrations and assessed effects on water quality and microplastic accumulation in gastrointestinal, liver, gill, and gonad tissues, finding that higher concentrations were associated with elevated microplastic prevalence and tissue-specific accumulation patterns.

2021 E3S Web of Conferences 8 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effects of Microplastics on Floc Formation, Nutrient Removal and Settleability in Wastewater Treatment

Researchers investigated how microplastics affect floc formation, nutrient removal, and settleability in wastewater treatment systems, examining the mechanisms by which these ubiquitous anthropogenic pollutants entering via packaging, cosmetics, and other production sectors disrupt activated sludge processes.

2024
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in aquaculture environments: Sources, pollution status, toxicity and potential as substrates for nitrogen-cycling microbiota

Researchers reviewed microplastic pollution in aquaculture systems, finding concentrations as high as 362 particles per liter in water and nearly 125,000 per kilogram in sediment, with microplastics accumulating in farmed fish and shellfish and potentially reaching humans through the food chain.

2024 Agricultural Water Management 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as an emerging anthropogenic vector of trace metals in freshwater: Significance of biofilms and comparison with natural substrates

Scientists placed virgin polystyrene microplastics in a eutrophic urban lake and a drinking water reservoir for four weeks to allow biofilm development, then measured trace metal accumulation, finding that biofilm-coated microplastics accumulated significantly more metals than virgin plastics or natural substrates.

2020 Water Research 301 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, fate and removal of microplastics as heavy metal vector in natural wastewater treatment wetland system

Researchers studied microplastic contamination in a natural wastewater treatment wetland system in Eastern India, finding high concentrations in both water and sediments along with toxic heavy metals adsorbed onto the plastic particles. The study found that microplastics acted as vectors for heavy metal contamination in fish and that the treatment ponds removed approximately 53% of surface water microplastics, highlighting the need to account for microplastic pollution in natural wastewater treatment systems.

2021 Water Research 262 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancement of Water Quality Parameters with Microplastics via Electrocoagulation

Researchers investigated the use of electrocoagulation to enhance water quality parameters and remove microplastics from water, comparing primary and secondary microplastic types. They found that electrocoagulation effectively reduced microplastic concentrations alongside other water quality parameters, demonstrating its potential as an integrated treatment technology for microplastic-contaminated water.

2025 Malaysian Journal on Composites Science and Manufacturing
Article Tier 2

The impact of microplastics on antibiotic resistance genes, metal resistance genes, and bacterial community in aquaculture environment

Researchers discovered that microplastics in fish farming environments carry significantly higher levels of antibiotic resistance genes and disease-causing bacteria like Brucella and Pseudomonas compared to surrounding water. This means microplastics may act as floating platforms that help spread antibiotic-resistant infections through aquaculture, potentially reaching humans who consume the seafood.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of Microplastics on Microbial Structure, Function, and Mechanical Properties of Stream Periphyton

This review explores how microplastics interact with heavy metals in aquatic environments, acting as vectors that can adsorb and transport toxic metals through ecosystems. The combined toxicity of microplastic-metal complexes poses greater risks to aquatic organisms than either contaminant alone.

2022 Frontiers in Environmental Science 11 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of microplastics biofilm in accumulation of trace metals in aquatic environments

This review examines how biofilms that form on microplastics in aquatic environments enhance the accumulation of trace metals from surrounding water. Researchers found that microorganisms colonizing plastic surfaces produce extracellular substances that facilitate metal sorption, effectively turning microplastics into concentrated carriers of metallic contaminants. The study highlights the dual pollution risk posed by microplastics serving as both physical pollutants and vehicles for toxic metal transport in waterways.

2022 World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling Microplastic-Biofilm Nexus in Aquaculture: Diversity and Functionality of Microbial Communities and Their Effect on Plastic Traits

Researchers incubated five common types of microplastics in an aquaculture pond for 128 days and found that biofilm formation varied significantly depending on the plastic type, with polypropylene and polyethylene supporting the richest microbial communities. PET microplastics attracted more plastic-degrading bacteria like Pseudomonas, while all plastic types enriched potentially pathogenic microorganisms. The findings highlight how different microplastics selectively shape microbial colonization in aquaculture environments, with implications for both environmental health and food safety.

2024 ACS ES&T Water 2 citations