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Papers
11 resultsShowing papers similar to Glitter ingestion by bromeliad-dwelling macroinvertebrates: implications for freshwater microplastic contamination
ClearMicroplastic bioaccumulation in odonata larvae: Integrating evidence from experimental studies in freshwater microcosm
Researchers conducted laboratory experiments simulating bromeliad-tank ecosystems to study how microplastics accumulate and transfer through freshwater food webs. They found that prey-mediated exposure led to significantly greater microplastic accumulation in predatory dragonfly larvae than direct waterborne contact. The study provides experimental evidence that microplastics can bioaccumulate and transfer up the food chain in freshwater invertebrate communities.
Disentangling the influence of microplastics and their chemical additives on a model detritivore system
Researchers disentangled the physical and chemical effects of microplastics on freshwater detritivores, finding that chemical additives leaching from plastics contributed more to negative impacts on organisms than the polymer particles themselves.
Occurrence and physical characterization of microplastics in mangrove-dwelling Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) of entotourism importance
Researchers examined microplastic contamination in mangrove-dwelling fireflies in Malaysia, finding microplastics in 50% of larvae and 14.8% of adults, representing one of the first studies of microplastic occurrence in this ecologically and culturally important insect group.
Preliminary indoor evidences of microplastic effects on freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates
Researchers exposed caddisfly and mayfly larvae to various microplastic polymers in laboratory experiments and found that caddisflies incorporated microplastics into their rebuilt cases and mayflies preferentially burrowed in microplastic substrates over natural ones. The study suggests that freshwater macroinvertebrates may not perceive microplastics as a direct threat, raising concerns about chronic exposure effects in heavily contaminated waterways.
Quantifying microplastic ingestion, degradation and excretion in insects using fluorescent plastics
This study used fluorescent tracking to quantify microplastic ingestion, gut transit, and excretion rates in insects, establishing a framework for assessing microplastic fate through invertebrate digestive systems. The approach provides an accessible model organism system for evaluating microplastic toxicity and trophic transfer.
Microplastics accumulation in functional feeding guilds and functional habit groups of freshwater macrobenthic invertebrates: Novel insights in a riverine ecosystem
Microplastics were found across functional feeding groups and habitat types of freshwater macroinvertebrates in an Italian river, with collector-gatherers and sediment-dwelling species showing higher contamination, confirming that dietary and behavioral ecology shapes microplastic exposure patterns in invertebrate communities.
The ecotoxicological impact of microplastics on freshwater invertebrates
This review summarizes the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics on freshwater invertebrates, finding evidence of harm including reduced feeding, growth, and reproduction across multiple species. Because invertebrates are key links in food webs, these effects could have broader consequences for freshwater ecosystems.
Microplastic exposure across trophic levels: effects on the host–microbiota of freshwater organisms
Researchers examined how microplastic exposure across trophic levels affects the gut microbiota of freshwater organisms, finding that microplastics alter microbial community composition and that effects can transfer through food web interactions.
Evidence of micro and macroplastic toxicity along a stream detrital food-chain.
Both micro- and macroplastic polyethylene pieces inhibited the decomposition of leaf litter in freshwater streams, with microplastics reducing the feeding activity of stream invertebrates. Since leaf litter decomposition is a critical process that nutrients and energy flow into freshwater food webs, plastic pollution could disrupt these fundamental ecosystem functions.
Microplastics in freshwater ecosystems : effects and drivers
This thesis assessed how microplastic exposure affects freshwater microorganisms, macroinvertebrates, and other organisms in freshwater ecosystems, finding that microplastics are a pervasive contaminant of freshwater environments with unclear but potentially significant ecological impacts.
Microplastics and leaf litter decomposition dynamics: New insights from a lotic ecosystem (Northeastern Italy)
Researchers studied how microplastics affect the natural decomposition of plant litter in a freshwater stream over four seasons, finding that microplastics had a small but measurable negative effect on decomposition rates and accumulated inside the invertebrates responsible for breaking down organic matter. These findings suggest microplastic pollution subtly disrupts the nutrient cycling processes that keep freshwater ecosystems healthy.