Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Developmental temperature modulates microplastics impact on amphibian life history without affecting ontogenetic microplastic transfer

Researchers studied how temperature affects the impact of microplastic pollution on Japanese tree frogs during their development from tadpole to frog. They found that microplastics caused hindlimb deformities during metamorphosis, but higher temperatures helped reduce mortality and deformity rates. Notably, plastic particles transferred from the aquatic tadpole stage to the terrestrial frog stage, demonstrating that microplastics can move between water and land ecosystems through animal life cycles.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of microplastics in tadpoles, adults, and habitats of three water frogs of Pelophylax spp.

Researchers examined microplastics in water frogs and their habitats across Turkey, finding that while tadpoles showed almost no microplastic ingestion, 44% of adult frogs had microplastics in their digestive tracts — mostly fibers from synthetic textiles. The findings highlight how microplastic contamination increases with life stage and proximity to human activity, threatening amphibian populations already under environmental stress.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Life on both environment in semi-aquatic frogs: Impact of aquatic microplastic (MP) from MP enrichment to growth, immune function and physiological stress

Researchers exposed juvenile black-spotted pond frogs to different concentrations of microplastics in water to study effects after metamorphosis. They found that microplastics accumulated primarily in the digestive tract and caused reduced growth, increased stress markers, and weakened immune function at higher concentrations. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in freshwater habitats could pose significant health risks to amphibians during vulnerable life stages.

2024 Chemosphere 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution and amphibian health: Complex physiological effects of different microplastic types on juvenile Glandirana rugosa

Researchers studied how polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics affect juvenile frogs and found significantly higher mortality rates in microplastic-exposed groups. The frogs showed elevated stress hormones, signs of oxidative damage, and elongated intestines, suggesting their bodies were trying to adapt to the particles. The study highlights that microplastics pose both physical and chemical risks to amphibians, which may contribute to population declines.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Identifying the presence of microplastics in frogs from the largest delta of the world

Researchers found microplastics in 90% of frogs collected from nine species across the Bengal delta, with fibers being the most common type — indicating that amphibians in this major river system are heavily exposed to plastic pollution, which may contribute to their global population decline.

2023 Environmental Advances 26 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of a microplastic mixture on wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) across multiple life stages in an outdoor mesocosm experiment

In a 96-day outdoor mesocosm experiment, researchers exposed wood frogs to a mixture of polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics across multiple life stages. The study found that microplastic exposure increased larval growth and delayed development at higher concentrations, and that microplastics were detected in the liver and muscle tissue, suggesting frogs may act as biovectors transferring microplastics between aquatic and terrestrial environments.

2025 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Life in plastic, it's not fantastic: Sublethal effects of polyethylene microplastics ingestion throughout amphibian metamorphosis

African clawed frogs exposed to polyethylene microplastics throughout metamorphosis showed sublethal effects including reduced body condition and altered development timing, raising concerns that microplastic pollution may threaten amphibian populations already facing global decline.

2023 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal distribution of microplastics in true frogs (Ranidae:Pelophylax) populations from Türkiye

Researchers examined preserved frog stomach contents from 146 true frogs collected across Turkey and found microplastics in nearly 60% of individuals, with plastic fibers being the most common form. The findings show that frogs — which live both in water and on land — are useful indicators of microplastic contamination across multiple ecosystems, and that exposure has been occurring for decades.

2023 Environmental Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential effects of microplastic exposure on anuran tadpoles: A still underrated threat to amphibian conservation?

Researchers found that microplastic exposure affects amphibian tadpoles differently depending on the species, with Italian agile frog tadpoles showing reduced survival at high concentrations while green toad tadpoles were more resilient.

2022 Environmental Pollution 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Variation in microplastic characteristics among amphibian larvae: a comparative study across different species and the influence of human activity

Scientists examined microplastics inside amphibian larvae from 10 species and found plastic particles in all of them, with blue fibers being the most common type. Larger larvae tended to contain longer plastic fragments, and there was a relationship between human activity levels near habitats and the characteristics of the plastics found. This study shows that microplastic contamination has penetrated freshwater food webs, affecting animals during their most vulnerable developmental stages.

2024 Scientific Reports 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Life in plastic, it's not fantastic: Sublethal effects of polyethylene microplastics ingestion throughout amphibian metamorphosis

Researchers investigated the effects of polyethylene microplastic ingestion across amphibian metamorphosis in African clawed frogs, finding sublethal impacts on growth, development, and metabolic rate that were influenced by life stage and rearing temperature.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological perspectives of microplastic pollution in amphibians

This review summarizes research on how microplastics affect amphibians, which are considered important indicator species for freshwater pollution. Researchers found evidence that microplastics can impair amphibian growth, immune function, and gene expression, with effects varying by species and particle characteristics. The findings raise concerns about the vulnerability of amphibian populations already threatened by habitat loss and other environmental stressors.

2022 Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part B 80 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic prevalence in anatolian water frogs (Pelophylax spp.)

Researchers found microplastics in the tissues of anatolian water frogs (Pelophylax spp.) collected from freshwater habitats in Turkey, documenting prevalence and characteristics of plastic particles in these amphibians whose populations are already stressed by multiple environmental pressures.

2022 Journal of Environmental Management 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics increase susceptibility of amphibian larvae to the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

Researchers found that microplastic exposure increases the susceptibility of midwife toad larvae to the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, suggesting that plastic pollution may worsen the impacts of this devastating amphibian disease.

2021 Scientific Reports 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Uptake, accumulation and elimination of polystyrene microspheres in tadpoles of Xenopus tropicalis

Researchers exposed frog tadpoles to polystyrene microspheres and tracked uptake and elimination, finding that tadpoles readily ingested particles that accumulated in the gut and were gradually eliminated, with implications for amphibian exposure in plastic-contaminated ponds.

2016 Chemosphere 141 citations
Article Tier 2

First record of microplastic contamination in adult endemic amazonian anuran species

For the first time, researchers documented microplastic contamination in two frog species found only in the Amazon, examining their digestive, respiratory, and skin systems. Both species had significant microplastic contamination, with the skin and digestive tract showing the highest levels. This study is important because it shows microplastics have reached even remote Amazonian ecosystems and are contaminating amphibians, which serve as indicators of overall environmental health.

2025 Scientific Reports 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Similarity of Microplastic Characteristics between Amphibian Larvae and Their Aquatic Environment

Researchers compared microplastic characteristics in amphibian larvae with those in their surrounding aquatic environment, finding similarities in size distribution and polymer types that confirm direct ingestion from water, providing a new bioindicator approach for freshwater microplastic monitoring.

2024 Animals 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in larvae of toads, frogs and newts in anthropopressure gradient

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in the larvae of toads, frogs, and newts across sites with varying levels of human activity in Poland. They found microplastics in larvae at all locations, with higher concentrations near urban and agricultural areas compared to natural habitats. The study raises concerns about how microplastic exposure during sensitive developmental stages may affect already-declining amphibian populations.

2023 Ecological Indicators 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as an emerging threat to amphibians: Current status and future perspectives

This review summarizes existing research on microplastic contamination in amphibians like frogs and salamanders, finding that over 80% of studied species had accumulated microplastics. The particles persisted in organs, showed toxic and gene-damaging effects, and could transfer through the food chain. Since amphibians are indicators of environmental health, widespread microplastic accumulation in these animals signals broader ecosystem contamination that can ultimately affect human food and water sources.

2024 Heliyon 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic footprints in marsh frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus) from two Turkish lakes

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in marsh frogs and their habitats at two Turkish lakes with different levels of human activity. Microplastics were found in frog digestive tracts, water, and sediment at both locations, with fibers being the most common particle type. The lake near higher human activity showed greater contamination, suggesting that urbanization and human presence are significant drivers of freshwater microplastic pollution.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics impair amphibian survival, body condition and function

Tadpoles of the common midwife toad were exposed to polystyrene microspheres at varying concentrations in microcosms, with microplastics reducing feeding, impairing body condition, and showing dose-dependent ingestion of particles. The study provides rare evidence that microplastics harm amphibians, a group already facing global population declines.

2019 Chemosphere 121 citations
Article Tier 2

Aquatic insects as mediator for microplastics pollution in a river ecosystem of Bangladesh

Researchers found that aquatic insects in a Malaysian river ecosystem ingest microplastics and can transport them across ecosystem boundaries as the insects emerge from water to land, functioning as biological vectors that move plastic contamination from aquatic to terrestrial food webs.

2025 Scientific Reports 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination and ecological risk assessment in two tree frog species (Hyla orientalis and Hyla savignyi) across Türkiye

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in the gastrointestinal tracts of two tree frog species across 24 provinces in Turkiye. The study found 192 microplastic particles total, predominantly PET fibers, with significant geographic variation in contamination levels and microplastic characteristics, suggesting widespread environmental distribution of microplastic pollution across the region.

2026 Environmental Geochemistry and Health
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicity of microplastics to freshwater biota: Considering exposure and hazard across trophic levels

This review examines the toxic effects of microplastics on freshwater organisms across multiple levels of the food web, from biofilms and plankton to fish and amphibians. Researchers found evidence of harm in several species, though effects varied widely depending on particle size, type, and concentration. The study highlights that freshwater microplastic toxicity is still poorly understood compared to marine environments and calls for more standardized research.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 150 citations