Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Distribution of Microplastic in Egypt Wastewater Using Aquatic Insects as Bioindicators

Researchers used aquatic insect larvae as bioindicators to assess microplastic distribution in Egyptian wastewater systems influenced by industrial and human activity. Insects from high-pollution sites accumulated significantly more microplastics, confirming their utility as cost-effective biological indicators for tracking microplastic contamination in freshwater systems.

2024
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

Occurrence of microplastics in edible aquatic insect Pantala sp. (Odonata: Libellulidae) from rice fields

Researchers detected microplastics in edible dragonfly larvae collected from rice fields, finding an average of 1.34 particles per individual with fragments being the most common type, raising concerns about microplastic transfer through insect-based food chains.

2022 PeerJ 23 citations
Article Tier 2

High macroplastic pollution in a subtropical urban lake affects macroinvertebrate community structure

Researchers examined the effects of high macroplastic pollution in a subtropical urban lake on macroinvertebrate communities, finding that plastic debris significantly altered benthic assemblages and reduced biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems that have received less ecological attention than marine environments.

2025 Hydrobiologia
Article Tier 2

Diversity of caddisflies (Trichoptera), water quality factors, and microplastics in a northern Thai stream

Caddisfly (Trichoptera) diversity was examined in relation to water quality and microplastic presence, finding that plastic contamination correlates with shifts in caddisfly community composition. Because caddisflies are widely used as bioindicators of water quality, plastic pollution may compromise standard bioassessment methods.

2025 Ecologica Montenegrina 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The Invisible Threat: A Review of Microplastics in Freshwater Systems, Including Their Presence in Water, Sediment, and Aquatic Insects

This review examines the sources, spatial distributions, and ecological effects of microplastics in freshwater systems — including water, sediments, and aquatic insects — synthesizing evidence on their pervasive contamination and biological impacts across freshwater environments globally.

2025 Annals of Environmental Science and Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in water, sediment, and aquatic insects of the Owena River, Osun state, Nigeria

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in water, sediment, and aquatic insects from the Owena River in Nigeria over a 12-month period. Microplastics were found across all sample types and river sections, with fibers and fragments being the most common forms. The study suggests that aquatic insects can serve as biological indicators of microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems.

2026 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Freshwater insects of different feeding guilds ingest microplastics in two Gulf of Guinea tributaries in Nigeria

Scientists collected freshwater insects from two Nigerian tributaries of the Gulf of Guinea and found microplastics ingested across different feeding guilds, providing rare baseline data on microplastic contamination of African freshwater ecosystems.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 111 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of anthropogenic activities on microplastics in deposit-feeders (Diptera: Chironomidae) in an urban river of Taiwan

Researchers quantified microplastic abundance and types in midge larvae (Chironomidae) from an urban river and found that multiple anthropogenic activities including industrial discharge, agriculture, and residential runoff were associated with elevated microplastic levels in these freshwater deposit-feeders.

2021 Scientific Reports 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Diversity and relative abundance of aquatic insects of Dahaura Lake, Bahraich, U.P.

This ecological survey documented aquatic insect diversity and abundance in Dahaura Lake in India over a six-month period, finding 25 genera from multiple orders. Aquatic insects are bioindicators of water quality and could be used to assess the ecological impacts of microplastic contamination in freshwater ecosystems.

2023 International Journal of Advanced Academic Studies
Article Tier 2

Microplastic loads within riverine fishes and macroinvertebrates are not predictable from ecological or morphological characteristics

Researchers measured microplastic loads in riverine fish and macroinvertebrates and found that particle counts were not reliably predicted by species ecology or morphology, suggesting that individual variation and local environmental factors play a larger role in microplastic ingestion than feeding guild or habitat alone.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 24 citations
Article Tier 2

In Situ Effects of a Microplastic Mixture on the Community Structure of Benthic Macroinvertebrates in a Freshwater Pond

Researchers conducted an in situ mesocosm experiment adding a realistic microplastic mixture to freshwater pond sediments and monitored benthic macroinvertebrate communities over time, finding that MP exposure shifted community composition and reduced taxonomic richness at environmentally relevant concentrations.

2021 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 31 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastic accumulation in aquatic insects of different feeding guilds collected from wastewater in Sohag Governorate, Egypt

Microplastic accumulation in four freshwater insect families from an Egyptian wastewater basin found that collector-gatherers (Chironomidae and Hydrophilidae) had the highest microplastic loads and bioaccumulation factors, with polyester fibres dominant in all taxa studied.

2023 Marine and Freshwater Research 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in freshwater sediments: Effects on benthic invertebrate communities and ecosystem functioning assessed in artificial streams

Researchers tested the effects of polyethylene microplastics on freshwater invertebrate communities in artificial streams using environmentally relevant concentrations. They found that microplastics significantly reduced the abundance of deposit-feeding and grazing organisms by 31-50%, with chironomids and mayflies showing the highest ingestion of plastic particles.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic accumulation in benthic macroinvertebrates is widespread, regardless of the river ecological status

A broad survey of freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates across multiple rivers found that microplastic accumulation was widespread regardless of local urban development levels, suggesting that factors beyond proximity to urban areas—such as river hydrology and upstream sources—drive MP exposure in freshwater invertebrates.

2025 Hydrobiologia 3 citations
Article Tier 2

How microplastics influence the health and microbiota of aquatic invertebrates: A review

This review examines how microplastics affect the health and microbiota of aquatic invertebrates, an area that has received less attention than fish studies. Researchers summarize evidence showing that microplastics cause toxicity at biological and molecular levels, alter microbial communities associated with invertebrate hosts, and interact with climate change and other pollutants to produce combined effects. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps and proposes future research directions for understanding microplastic impacts on aquatic ecosystems.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Using the Asian clam as an indicator of microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems

Researchers proposed the Asian clam as a bioindicator species for monitoring microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems, building on prior findings of high contamination rates in these organisms. Using a widely distributed filter feeder as a sentinel species could help standardize freshwater microplastic monitoring the way mussels are used in marine settings.

2017 Environmental Pollution 445 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in waterbirds and their habitats: evidence from little egrets (Egretta garzetta) in tropical rice fields

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in little egrets and their rice field habitats in tropical southern China. They found microplastics in water, sediment, feathers, and fecal samples, with fiber-shaped particles being the most common type. The study suggests that waterbirds can serve as useful indicators of microplastic pollution levels in agricultural wetland environments.

2025 Environmental Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Species-specific bioindicators of microplastic pollution in a shallow lake: Hydrological period drives benthic macroinvertebrate exposure in Baiyangdian Lake, China

Researchers studied microplastic accumulation in three benthic invertebrate species across seasons in Baiyangdian Lake, China, and found that biological factors like feeding behavior were more important than ambient microplastic levels in determining uptake. The study suggests that seasonal hydrology strongly influences microplastic exposure and recommends specific shrimp and crayfish species as sensitive bioindicators for monitoring microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials