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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Understanding the influence of biota in the transfer of different sized microplastics between environmental compartments of marine ecosystem
ClearMicroplastic accumulation, depuration dynamics and localization in environmental compartments: combination of experimental set ups and field studies
Researchers tracked microplastic accumulation and depuration in multiple environmental compartments and marine organisms using controlled microcosm experiments. The study found that particles distribute differently across sediment, water, and biota, and that biological depuration is incomplete within realistic timeframes.
On some physical and dynamical properties of microplastic particles in marine environment
This study examined the physical and dynamical properties of microplastic particles in marine environments, using modeling to predict how particle shape, density, and size govern transport, dispersion, and accumulation patterns.
Recent advances on the transport of microplastics/nanoplastics in abiotic and biotic compartments
This review synthesizes recent findings on how microplastics and nanoplastics are transported through environmental compartments including water, soil, atmosphere, and biological systems, highlighting key factors that govern their fate and distribution.
Marine microplastic debris: a targeted plan for understanding and quantifying interactions with marine life
This review examines the mechanisms by which marine organisms interact with microplastic debris and proposes a targeted research plan for understanding and quantifying these interactions and their role in redistributing plastic throughout ocean environments. The authors synthesize laboratory and field evidence showing that biotic processes - including ingestion, egestion, and biofouling - may significantly alter the spatial distribution and long-term fate of microplastics in marine systems.
Microplastics in the marine environment: A review of their sources, distribution processes, uptake and exchange in ecosystems
Researchers reviewed the literature on how microplastics move through marine environments, finding that while plastic density helps predict vertical distribution in the water column, biological interactions — such as ingestion and biofouling — better explain why buoyant plastics end up at great ocean depths and transfer through food webs. The review underscores that microplastic bioaccumulation is driven as much by ecology as by physical properties.
Biological effects on the migration and transformation of microplastics in the marine environment
This review synthesizes how biological activities including biofouling, ingestion, and biodegradation influence the migration, distribution, and transformation of microplastics in marine environments across four key mechanisms.
Microplastic accumulation, depuration dynamics and localization in environmental compartments: combination of experimental set ups and field studies
Researchers used microcosm experiments to track microplastic accumulation, depuration, and tissue localization in marine organisms under environmentally relevant conditions. The study found that organisms can accumulate and partially depurate microplastics, with particle retention varying by tissue type and particle size.
Modelling the Influence from Biota and Organic Matter on the Transport Dynamics of Microplastics in the Water Column and Bottom Sediments in the Oslo Fjord
Researchers modeled how seasonal biological activity, biofouling, and zooplankton fecal pellet production affect the vertical transport and sediment burial of microplastics in Oslo Fjord. The model demonstrated that biotic factors significantly alter microplastic sinking rates and sediment accumulation patterns across seasons.
Feeding behavior and species interactions increase the bioavailability of microplastics to benthic food webs
Researchers used a controlled food web experiment to study how feeding behavior and species interactions affect microplastic movement through benthic ecosystems. They found that biological activities like bioturbation and predation significantly increased the availability and redistribution of microplastics in sediments compared to physical processes alone. The study demonstrates that living organisms play a major role in determining where microplastics end up in aquatic environments, which has important implications for pollution monitoring.
Distinct microplastic patterns in the sediment and biota of an urban stream
Researchers found distinct microplastic contamination patterns between sediments and aquatic biota in an urban stream, with sediments accumulating more particles while biota showed selective uptake based on particle size and shape, highlighting the complex dynamics of microplastic distribution in urban freshwater systems.
Microplastics in the marine environment: From top to bottom
This thesis investigates how microplastics are transported vertically through the marine water column via biological mechanisms, from surface waters to the deep sea. It contributes to understanding how organisms like zooplankton and jellyfish accelerate the sinking and redistribution of microplastic particles.
Trophic transfer of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems: Identifying critical research needs
This review analyzed the available literature on trophic transfer of microplastics in aquatic food webs, identifying key factors — particle size, shape, density, and organism feeding behavior — that determine whether microplastics pass through organisms or accumulate. The authors conclude that biomagnification of microplastics remains poorly understood and requires targeted research.
Evidence of Microplastic Size Impact on Mobility and Transport in the Marine Environment: A Review and Synthesis of Recent Research
This review synthesized evidence on how microplastic particle size affects transport and dispersal in the marine environment, finding that size critically influences turbulent entrainment, settling velocity, and resuspension, analogous to well-established natural sediment transport dynamics.
Exploring the complex interactions between microplastics and marine contaminants
A comprehensive review explored the complex interactions between microplastics and various environmental matrices (water, soil, sediment, biota), synthesizing knowledge on how plastics move between compartments and affect ecosystems. The review identifies critical knowledge gaps and priority areas for future microplastic research.
Global distribution characteristics and ecological risk assessment of microplastics in aquatic organisms based on meta-analysis
This meta-analysis assessed the global distribution of microplastics in aquatic organisms across multiple trophic levels, finding that biological characteristics like body size and feeding strategy significantly influence microplastic ingestion rates. The study provides a framework for ecological risk assessment and proposes strategies to reduce microplastic input into water bodies.
Characterizing the multidimensionality of microplastics across environmental compartments
Researchers characterized the size, shape, polymer type, volume, and mass of over 60,000 individual microplastic particles collected from various aquatic environments including surface water, sediments, and organisms. They found that particle size distributions follow predictable mathematical patterns that differ by environmental compartment and polymer type. The findings provide a framework for more realistic risk assessments by capturing the full diversity of microplastic characteristics relevant to toxicology.
Vertical transport of marine microplastics mediated by filter-feeding organisms
Researchers used sediment traps to quantify how filter-feeding organisms — including sea squirts, Pacific oysters, scallops, and Manila clams — contribute to vertical microplastic transport in the water column, finding that MP-laden faeces and pseudofaeces from these organisms act as a biologically mediated pathway for sinking surface MP to the seafloor.
Micro‐by‐micro interactions: How microorganisms influence the fate of marine microplastics
This review examines how microorganisms interact with microplastics in marine environments, including biofilm formation, biodegradation, and effects on plastic transport and sedimentation. Researchers found that microbial colonization of plastics can influence how microplastics move through the water column and enter food webs. The study highlights that understanding these micro-by-micro interactions is essential for assessing the environmental fate of microplastic pollution.
Distribution and importance of microplastics in the marine environment: A review of the sources, fate, effects, and potential solutions
This review synthesized research on the distribution and significance of microplastics across the marine environment, covering sources, transport pathways, ecological interactions, and the state of knowledge on biological and chemical effects.
The fate of microplastic in marine sedimentary environments: A review and synthesis
A systematic review of 80 papers on microplastics in marine sediments found median concentrations varied widely by sediment environment, with fibers dominating many locations, and showed that sediment grain size and organic carbon content influence microplastic accumulation.
Microplastics spatiotemporal distribution and variability in marine habitats along the North-Western Mediterranean coastal waters.
Researchers assessed microplastic spatiotemporal distribution across multiple Mediterranean marine habitat types including water surface, sediment, and biota, revealing significant variability by location and season. The multi-compartment approach showed that no single habitat type captures the full extent of microplastic contamination.
Meta-ecosystem Frameworks Can Enhance Control of the Biotic Transport of Microplastics
Researchers propose applying meta-ecosystem frameworks to better understand and manage the biotic transport of microplastics across landscapes, arguing that current approaches overlook how organisms and trophic transfers move particles between ecosystems. The framework could improve both research design and mitigation strategies.
Environmental distribution, transport and ecotoxicity of microplastics: A review
This review covers the environmental distribution and transport of microplastics across marine, freshwater, soil, and atmospheric compartments, and analyzes their toxicity to organisms at different trophic levels including potential effects on human health.
Ingestion and transfer of microplastics in the planktonic food web
Researchers demonstrated that microplastics are ingested and transferred through a planktonic food web, with particles passing from primary producers to zooplankton grazers and on to predatory plankton, establishing trophic transfer as a real pathway for microplastic movement through marine food chains.