Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics in fishes in amazon riverine beaches: Influence of feeding mode and distance to urban settlements

Researchers found microplastics in the digestive tracts of 29 fish species from Amazon riverine beaches, with contamination levels influenced by fish feeding mode and distance to urban settlements within a protected area.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Intake of microplastics by fishes in a floodplain lake of the Curiaú River (Macapá, Amapá, Brazil)

Researchers examined microplastic ingestion in fish from a floodplain lake of the Curiaú River in the Brazilian Amazon, finding microplastics in stomach, intestine, and gill samples with ingestion patterns reflecting both passive and active uptake during normal feeding behavior.

2025 Aquatic Sciences 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Food ecology and presence of microplastic in the stomach content of neotropical fish in an urban river of the upper Paraná River Basin

Microplastics were found in the stomachs of multiple fish species in an urban Brazilian river, with ingestion rates linked to each species' feeding ecology. The findings confirm that microplastics have entered the freshwater food chain, raising concern about contamination reaching people who eat these fish.

2020 Ambiente e Agua - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Widespread microplastic ingestion by fish assemblages in tropical estuaries subjected to anthropogenic pressures

A survey of 2,233 fish from 69 species across two tropical Brazilian estuaries found microplastics in 9% of individuals, with ingestion rates linked to feeding guild, habitat use, and proximity to urban areas. The study demonstrates that microplastic ingestion is widespread even in tropical systems and is shaped by ecology rather than occurring at random.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 302 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic intake does not depend on fish eating habits: Identification of microplastics in the stomach contents of fish on an urban beach in Brazil

Researchers analyzed microplastic content in the stomachs of seven fish species from an urban beach in Brazil and found that trophic guild (carnivore, omnivore, herbivore) did not predict microplastic ingestion rates, suggesting that incidental ingestion during feeding is widespread regardless of diet type.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 88 citations
Article Tier 2

First account of plastic pollution impacting freshwater fishes in the Amazon: Ingestion of plastic debris by piranhas and other serrasalmids with diverse feeding habits

Researchers found the first evidence of plastic ingestion by freshwater Amazonian fish, with about one quarter of 172 serrasalmid specimens (piranhas and relatives) across 16 species having consumed plastic particles of 12 polymer types — and notably, plastic ingestion occurred across all feeding guilds (herbivores, omnivores, carnivores) with no difference in frequency by diet.

2018 Environmental Pollution 216 citations
Article Tier 2

First evidence of microplastic ingestion by fishes from the Amazon River estuary

Researchers documented the first evidence of microplastic ingestion by fish in the Amazon River estuary, finding plastic particles — predominantly polyamide and polyethylene pellets — in 30% of 189 specimens across 14 species, with larger fish containing more particles, indicating widespread contamination extending into one of the world's most biodiverse river systems.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 317 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination of stream fish by plastic waste in the Brazilian Amazon

Researchers evaluated plastic contamination in small fish from Amazonian headwater streams in Brazil, finding widespread plastic pollution in these understudied tropical freshwater ecosystems and characterizing the shapes, sizes, and abundance of plastic items ingested.

2020 Environmental Pollution 96 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence in fish species from the Iquitos region in Peru, western Amazonia

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in 61 fish from 15 commercial species in the Peruvian Amazon near Iquitos. The study found microplastics in 100% of sampled fish, with an average of 38.3 particles per individual detected across gills and internal organs, demonstrating that microplastic pollution has reached even remote areas of the western Amazon basin.

2023 Acta Amazonica 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Methods to characterize Microplastics: Case study on freshwater fishes from a tropical lagoon in Colombia

Researchers examined microplastic prevalence, abundance, and physical and chemical characteristics in fish from Luruaco lagoon, Colombia, conducting four sampling events using trawl nets and analyzing gastrointestinal tracts of captured individuals to characterize microplastic ingestion across species.

2024
Article Tier 2

Ingestão e efeitos morfofisiológicos dos microplásticos em espécies de peixes da Amazônia Central

This Brazilian thesis investigates microplastic ingestion and its effects on fish from the Amazon basin, one of the world's most biodiverse freshwater systems. Given that aquatic organisms in even remote areas are exposed to microplastics, the research highlights risks to Amazon fish diversity and the potential for microplastics to disrupt aquatic food webs in previously pristine ecosystems.

2022
Article Tier 2

Study on the consumption of microplastics by fishes in a floodplain lake of the Curiaú River (Macapá – Amapá, Brazil)

Researchers studied microplastic consumption by fishes in a floodplain lake of the Curiaú River in Macapá, Amapá, Brazil, examining the types and quantities of plastic particles smaller than 5 mm ingested by fish species in this freshwater ecosystem. They found evidence that fish in this Amazonian floodplain lake ingest microplastics when available, documenting the penetration of plastic pollution into remote freshwater food webs.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence in fish species from the Iquitos region in Peru, western Amazonia

Researchers found microplastics in 15 commercial fish species from markets in the Peruvian Amazon, detecting 2,337 particles across 61 specimens — among the first reports of microplastic contamination in fish from the Amazon basin.

2023 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Ecological traits do not predict the uptake of microplastics by fishes in a Neotropical River

Researchers found that ecological traits such as feeding guild, habitat use, and body size do not reliably predict microplastic uptake in fish species from a Neotropical river, suggesting contamination patterns are driven more by local environmental conditions than by species-specific biology.

2023
Article Tier 2

Habitat Integrity and Microplastic Contamination in Amazonian Streams: Assessment of Water, Sediment, and Fish and Identification of Predominant Polymers

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in Amazonian streams by sampling water, sediment, and fish, and characterised predominant polymer types, finding that contamination was widespread across all environmental compartments regardless of habitat integrity, suggesting that even well-preserved stream habitats are not protected from microplastic pollution.

2025 Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Article Tier 2

Ecological traits do not predict the uptake of microplastics by fishes in a Neotropical River

Researchers found that nearly half (49%) of 101 fish examined from a Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest river contained microplastics in their organs, with PET fibers being predominant and blue fibers accounting for 91% of all particles. Importantly, neither trophic level, feeding strategy, nor habitat predicted which fish were most contaminated — individual size and species-specific traits were better predictors. Since 55% of the analyzed species are consumed by humans, the study raises direct concerns about microplastic transfer through the food chain to people.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and characterization of microplastic content in the digestive system of riverine fishes

Researchers found microplastics in 93.8% of riverine fish examined, with polystyrene, polyethylene, and nylon being the most common polymer types concentrated near urban and industrial areas, and small particles (0.025-1 mm) predominating across species.

2021 Journal of Environmental Management 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of biological and environmental factors on microplastic ingestion of commercial fish species

Researchers analyzed microplastic ingestion in commercially important fish species, evaluating how biological and environmental factors influence ingestion rates across 2,222 individual fish. The study assessed gastrointestinal tract contents to determine the extent and patterns of microplastic contamination. The findings suggest that both species-specific biology and environmental conditions play important roles in determining microplastic ingestion levels in commercial fish.

2022 Chemosphere 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Methods to characterize microplastics: case study on freshwater fishes from a tropical lagoon in Colombia

Fish from Colombia's Luruaco Lagoon contained microplastics with prevalence, abundance, and polymer characteristics analyzed across four sampling events, with principal component analysis linking MP types to feeding ecology and habitat use of the different species.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic contamination in fish digestive tracts in Amazonian rivers during a period of extreme low water

Researchers analyzed microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of fish from two Amazonian rivers during an extreme drought period in 2023. Microplastics were detected in multiple species from both Rio Negro and Rio Solimões, with fibers dominating, and higher concentrations found near human settlements, linking contamination to local plastic waste inputs.

2025 Journal of Fish Biology 2 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of microplastic prevalence and abundance in freshwater fish species: the effect of fish species habitat, feeding behavior, and Fulton’s condition factor

A meta-analysis of freshwater fish across 42 studies found an average of 2.35 microplastic items per individual, with 80% of research focused on the gastrointestinal tract and 58% on river environments. Contrary to expectations, microplastic ingestion correlated with fish body physiology (size and weight) rather than feeding behavior or habitat, suggesting physical characteristics determine uptake more than ecological niche.

2024 Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Feeding Ecology and Microplastic Contamination of Planktophagous Fishes in a tropical Southwestern Atlantic Estuarine Ecosystem

Feeding ecology and microplastic contamination of two planktophagous fish species (A. clupeoides and C. edentulus) were studied in a tropical Brazilian estuary, finding both species ingested microplastics—with contamination rates varying by season, body size, and estuarine position, reflecting their copepod-dominated diets.

2025 Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Characteristic Found in Gastrointestinal Tract of Pelagic and Demersal Fishes in Tuban, East Java

Researchers found microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of both pelagic and demersal fish species, documenting plastic ingestion across different feeding guilds and ocean depths. The study adds to growing evidence of widespread microplastic contamination throughout marine food webs.

2023 Journal of Marine-Earth Science and Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of the composition and abundance of microplastics in the digestive tract of fish in the Banjaran River, Banyumas District

Researchers identified and quantified microplastic composition and abundance in digestive tract contents of wild-caught fish from a coastal fishery, documenting ingestion rates, polymer types, and particle morphologies across multiple commercially important species.

2025 Acta Aquatica Aquatic Sciences Journal