Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Small Ruminants I

A study in Guayas Province, Ecuador, found microplastics in every sample collected from 200 sheep feces, water, and feed samples, with water origin and feed category as the primary sources of microplastic contamination in small ruminant farming.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Pig Production

Researchers analyzed 200 samples—feces, water, and feed—from pig farming operations in Manta, Ecuador, finding microplastics in 100% of samples, with water source and feed category identified as key contamination sources.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Small Ruminants II

Researchers examined 100 fecal samples from goats in Manabí Province, Ecuador, finding microplastic contamination in all samples and identifying the specific plastic types using two laboratory processing methods.

2025
Article Tier 2

Emerging contaminants in rural water: microplastic pollution and its association with agricultural, livestock, and industrial activities in Ecuador

Researchers surveyed 169 samples from 29 rural drinking water systems in southern Ecuador, finding microplastics in 61.5% of samples, with PET as the most frequent polymer and contamination levels correlating with proximity to agricultural, livestock, and industrial activities.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Presence of Microplastics in Livestock Production: A Challenge for Animal Health and Sustainability

This review examines microplastic contamination in livestock production systems, summarizing evidence of microplastic presence in feed, water, and animal tissues, and discussing implications for animal health, food safety, and sustainability.

2025
Article Tier 2

Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment of Microplastics in Drinking Water, Raw Materials, and Animal Feed Additives

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in drinking water, feed ingredients, and complete diets at two dairy farms in Iran. The study found large numbers of microplastics of varying sizes and colors in feedstuffs, estimating that each cow ingests over 5,000 microplastic particles daily through their feed, raising concerns about potential transfer through the food chain.

2026 Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Ecuador: A review of environmental and health-risk assessment challenges

This review summarizes the current state of microplastic research in Ecuador, covering contamination in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments as well as potential health effects. Researchers found that while evidence of microplastic pollution across Ecuador is growing, significant gaps remain in monitoring coverage and risk assessment methods. The study calls for standardized sampling and analysis protocols to better understand the scope of microplastic contamination in the country.

2023 Heliyon 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastics on Livestock: Sources, Exposure Pathways, and Physiological Consequences

This review examined how microplastics enter livestock systems through contaminated soil, water, and feed, and assessed the resulting risks to animal health, food safety, and agricultural sustainability. The review highlights that livestock exposure pathways are numerous and that microplastic contamination of the food chain is a growing concern.

2024 Journal Of Advanced Zoology
Article Tier 2

Determination and Quantification of Microplastics in Grasslands for Feed and Possible Impacts on Livestock

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in both soil and forage grass from four grassland feed sites in Indonesia, finding that grass samples contained more microplastics (160–260 items/kg) than soils (70–170 items/kg), with polyethylene fibers dominating, raising concerns about livestock exposure through feed.

2025 Environmental Quality Management 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems: macro-, meso-, and microplastic debris in a floodplain lake

Researchers surveyed macro-, meso-, and microplastic debris in a South American floodplain lake and found an average of 704 microplastic particles per square meter in sediments, with plastic contamination comparable to marine beaches — demonstrating that freshwater lakes can be major plastic pollution reservoirs.

2017 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 308 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of plastics particles in equine blood by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Researchers used scanning electron microscopy to detect plastic particles in equine blood samples, providing the first evidence of circulating microplastics in horses and demonstrating a method for detecting plastic particles in veterinary blood specimens.

2025 Revista Científica de la Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias
Article Tier 2

Microplastics contamination in commercial fish meal and feed: a major concern in the cultured organisms

Researchers analyzed commercial fish meal and animal feed samples and found microplastics in all of them, with fish meal containing up to 1,154 particles per kilogram. The contaminated feed is given to farmed fish, shrimp, and chicken, creating a pathway for microplastics to reach humans through the food supply. Feed made from dried fish had higher contamination levels than feed from fresh fish, and the microplastics also carried toxic heavy metals.

2024 Chemosphere 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary Assessment of Plastic Litter and Microplastic Contamination in Freshwater Depositional Areas: The Case Study of Puerto Misahualli, Ecuadorian Amazonia

Researchers conducted a preliminary assessment of plastic litter and microplastics in sediments at a riverine depositional area in the Ecuadorian Amazon, finding low-density polyethylene bags as the dominant macroplastic and documenting microplastic presence in an upper Amazon basin location.

2021 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in rivers and coastal waters of the province of Esmeraldas, Ecuador

Researchers found microplastic contamination throughout rivers and coastal waters of Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador, with coastal waters showing significantly higher concentrations than rivers and transparent fibres and brown fragments being the most abundant types.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Cuantificación de la presencia de microplásticos en la cuenca alta del río Guayllabamba

This study quantified microplastics in the upper basin of the Guayllabamba River in Ecuador, finding contamination at multiple sites. The results add to evidence that South American rivers far from major industrial centers are already contaminated with microplastics, which eventually flow toward coastal and marine environments.

2018
Article Tier 2

Bioacumulación y transmisión vertical de microplásticos dentro de la cadena agroalimentaria avícola en Guayas, Ecuador

This Spanish-language study investigated how microplastics enter the Ecuadorian poultry production chain through feed, water, and dust, and whether they accumulate across the food chain. Microplastics were detected in feed, feces, egg yolk, and meat, demonstrating vertical bioaccumulation and raising food safety concerns for consumers of poultry products.

2025 ECOAgropecuaria Revista Científica Ecológica Agropecuaria
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in manure: Sources, analytical methods, toxicodynamic, and toxicokinetic endpoints in livestock and poultry

Researchers reviewed the occurrence of microplastics in livestock and poultry manure, finding hundreds to thousands of particles per kilogram depending on the animal, with plastic-contaminated feed and mulching films as the primary sources. Because manure is widely spread on farmland as fertilizer, it represents a significant — and underappreciated — pathway for microplastics to enter agricultural soils and ultimately the food chain.

2023 Environmental Advances 51 citations
Article Tier 2

A critical review of microplastic pollution in breeding industry: Sources, distribution, impacts, and characterization techniques, mitigation strategies and future research directions

This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic pollution in the breeding and livestock industry, covering sources, distribution patterns, and potential impacts on animal and human health through the food chain. Researchers identified key gaps in current understanding of how microplastics move through farming environments and accumulate in livestock. The study calls for more systematic research to help the industry develop strategies for preventing microplastic contamination.

2024 Chemosphere 2 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics as a contaminant in Indian riverine system: a review

This systematic review examines microplastic contamination across India's river systems, documenting the types, sources, and concentrations of plastic particles found in major waterways. The findings are concerning for human health because these rivers provide drinking water and irrigation for hundreds of millions of people, creating widespread potential exposure to microplastics.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplásticos en el agua potable de la ciudad de Riobamba

This study detected microplastics in drinking water samples from Riobamba, Ecuador, finding that over 80 percent of analyzed samples contained plastic particles. The research adds to growing global evidence that microplastic contamination of drinking water is widespread, raising public health concerns.

2018
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in farmyard manures: implications for sustainable agriculture

Researchers investigated microplastic abundance and characteristics in non-commercial farmyard manures - a largely understudied pathway for microplastic entry into agricultural soils. The study assessed how manure application may serve as a source of microplastic contamination in farmland, contributing to understanding of plastic pollution cycles in terrestrial agricultural ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in rice-based farming systems and their connection to plastic waste management in the Chicoral district of Espinal-Tolima

Researchers reviewed microplastic contamination in rice-based farming systems, tracing MPs from irrigation water and plastic mulch through soil and into harvested grain, and connecting observed contamination levels to regional plastic waste management practices.

2025 Chemosphere 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics contamination in ruminant feeds of Northwestern Italy: a preliminary assessment

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in common cattle feeds at dairy farms in northwestern Italy, including corn silage, hay, and high-protein feedstuff. All feed types contained microplastics, with corn silage being the most contaminated at about 38 particles per gram. Since microplastics in animal feed can transfer into meat and dairy products, this finding highlights a potential route of human exposure through the food we eat.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Development and application of a novel extraction protocol for the monitoring of microplastic contamination in widely consumed ruminant feeds

Researchers developed the first specialized method for detecting microplastics in cattle feed, including corn silage, hay, and mixed rations. They found that 50-60% of foreign objects in slaughtered cattle are plastic-based, and microplastics have been detected in ruminant tissues and feces. Since contaminated feed is a likely source, this detection method is important for understanding how microplastics enter the meat supply chain and potentially reach human consumers.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations