Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Role of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) in the generation and removal of microplastics and additives chemicals

Researchers examined recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) infrastructure as a source of microplastics, building a polymer and additive reference library from known plastic components to identify and quantify microplastic generation and removal within aquaculture facility water treatment processes.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, distribution and sources of microplastics in typical marine recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) in China: The critical role of RAS operating time and microfilter

This study found microplastics in all parts of fish farming systems in China, including the feed, water, and the fish themselves. Systems that had been running longer accumulated more microplastics, and the plastic types found in fish closely matched those in their feed and water. The findings suggest that farmed fish -- a major protein source -- can be a route of microplastic exposure for people who eat seafood.

2024 Water Research 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in aquaculture systems: Occurrence, ecological threats and control strategies

This review summarizes how microplastics contaminate aquaculture systems through fishing gear, feed, and polluted water, and examines their effects on farmed aquatic species. Microplastics accumulate in farmed fish and shellfish, raising concerns about food safety for the millions of people who consume aquaculture products. The authors discuss removal strategies and call for better monitoring to protect both aquaculture sustainability and consumer health.

2023 Chemosphere 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in water, feed and tissues of European seabass reared in a recirculation aquaculture system (RAS)

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in a recirculating aquaculture system raising European seabass and found plastic particles in the water, fish feed, and fish tissues including gills, gut, and liver. The most common particles were fibers and fragments from polyester and polyethylene. This study shows that even controlled farming environments are not free from microplastic contamination, which has implications for farmed seafood safety.

2023 Chemosphere 41 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of microplastic pollution in aquaculture: Sources, effects, removal strategies and prospects

This review examines how microplastics contaminate fish farms through environmental inputs and aquaculture equipment, affecting water quality and the health of farmed seafood. Since contaminated aquaculture products are a direct pathway for microplastics to reach the human diet, reducing plastic pollution in fish farming is important for food safety.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 176 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic Pollution and Microplastics as Emerging Threats to Aquaculture: A Narrative Review

This narrative review examined how microplastic contamination has emerged as a major challenge for aquaculture, identifying MPs in pond water, sediments, fish feeds, and cultured organisms. The review discussed MP sources from degraded infrastructure and contaminated inputs, and assessed the implications for farmed fish health and seafood safety.

2025 Preprints.org
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of micro- nanoplastics in a commercial recirculated aquaculture system and their translocation to cultured fish organs: A baseline study

Researchers found microplastics and nanoplastics inside the muscle, brain, and gut of Nile tilapia raised in a commercial fish farm that uses recirculated water, identifying multiple plastic polymer types in fish tissue — a finding that suggests farmed fish are a direct route for microplastic exposure in people who eat them.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in aquaculture environments: Sources, pollution status, toxicity and potential as substrates for nitrogen-cycling microbiota

Researchers reviewed microplastic pollution in aquaculture systems, finding concentrations as high as 362 particles per liter in water and nearly 125,000 per kilogram in sediment, with microplastics accumulating in farmed fish and shellfish and potentially reaching humans through the food chain.

2024 Agricultural Water Management 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding the sources, fate and effects of microplastics in aquatic environments with a focus on risk profiling in aquaculture systems

This review summarizes how microplastics enter aquaculture systems and accumulate in farmed fish, causing toxic effects including immune disruption, oxidative stress, and genetic damage. Since farmed fish are a major food source, the buildup of microplastics in aquaculture poses a direct pathway for these particles to reach human diets.

2024 Reviews in Aquaculture 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification and Quantification of Microplastics in Aquaculture Environment

This review covers high-efficiency analytical methods for identifying and quantifying microplastics in aquaculture environments, addressing the growing concern that plastic products widely used in aquaculture operations are an underreported source of microplastic contamination.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and their potential effects on the aquaculture systems: a critical review

This review examines the sources, distribution, and potential ecological effects of microplastics in aquaculture systems worldwide. Researchers found that microplastics enter aquaculture through feed, water intake, and atmospheric deposition, and can accumulate in farmed fish and shellfish tissues. The study highlights the need for monitoring programs and mitigation strategies to protect both aquaculture productivity and consumer safety from microplastic contamination.

2020 Reviews in Aquaculture 154 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in industrial aquaculture: Occurrence in the aquatic environment, feed and organisms (Dicentrarchus labrax)

Researchers studied how microplastics move through an industrial aquaculture system, from water intake to the fish themselves. They found that while water purification systems reduced incoming microplastics, new particles entered the system through fish feed. The study reveals that aquaculture-raised sea bass accumulate microplastics primarily from their food rather than the surrounding water.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution: An emerging contaminant in aquaculture

This review examines how microplastics are contaminating aquaculture (fish farming) through wastewater, aging equipment, and fish feed, and harming cultured fish through oxidative stress, immune damage, and reproductive problems. Since aquaculture provides a major source of dietary protein worldwide, microplastic contamination in farmed fish is a direct food safety concern. The review recommends better water screening, facility maintenance, and feed quality control to reduce microplastic levels in fish farming.

2023 Aquaculture and Fisheries 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Origin, Physical Properties, biodegradation, and Potential Effects of Microplastics on Aquaculture

This review covers the origin, physical properties, biodegradation potential, and ecological effects of microplastics in aquatic systems with a focus on aquaculture, examining how microplastics enter the food chain and accumulate in the human body.

2024 Aquatic Science and Fish Resources (ASFR) /Aquatic Science and Fish Resources (ASFR)
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics and metals in European seabass produced in different aquaculture systems: Implications for human exposure, risk, and food safety

Researchers compared microplastic levels in European seabass from three different aquaculture farming systems and estimated human exposure through fish consumption. All systems contained microplastics in the water, feed, and fish, with recirculating systems showing the highest concentrations. The study estimates that eating farmed seabass could expose consumers to hundreds of microplastic particles per serving, along with associated metals.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in aquatic systems, a comprehensive review: origination, accumulation, impact, and removal technologies

This comprehensive review traced the sources of microplastics in aquatic environments, from industrial products and packaging to cosmetics and agricultural materials, and examined their toxic effects on living organisms. Researchers found that microplastics are remarkably stable and widespread, posing growing ecotoxicological risks to aquatic ecosystems. The study also evaluated current removal technologies, noting their advantages and limitations, and warns that without better strategies, microplastic pollution will become significantly worse in coming decades.

2022 RSC Advances 134 citations
Review Tier 2

A review on source, occurrence, and impacts of microplastics in freshwater aquaculture systems in China

This review examines microplastic pollution sources, occurrence, and impacts within freshwater aquaculture systems in China, the world's leading aquaculture producer. Researchers found that microplastics are widespread in Chinese aquaculture environments, originating from feeds, equipment, and surrounding water sources. The study highlights concerns about food safety and product quality, suggesting that microplastic contamination in farmed fish and shellfish deserves greater regulatory attention.

2022 Water Biology and Security 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in Water System: A Review of Their Impact on Environment, Current Perspective and Future Direction

This review highlights hazardous chemicals associated with micro- and nanoplastics, including plastic additives and absorbed environmental pollutants, and their potential health risks after entering the food chain. It frames microplastics as markers of a new geological era and calls for improved monitoring and regulation of plastic-associated toxicants.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in Water System: A Review of Their Impact on Environment, Current Perspective and Future Direction

This review highlights hazardous chemicals associated with micro- and nanoplastics, including plastic additives and absorbed environmental pollutants, and their potential health risks after entering the food chain. It frames microplastics as markers of a new geological era and calls for improved monitoring and regulation of plastic-associated toxicants.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Freshwater Aquaculture Fishpond System in Yichang, China: The Occurrence, Characteristics and Potential Risks

Researchers investigated the occurrence and distribution of microplastics in freshwater aquaculture fishponds in Yichang, China, finding microplastics present in all sampled matrices — water, sediment, fish tissue, and fish feed — with most particles under 1.0 mm in diameter.

2024 Wuhan University Journal of Natural Sciences
Systematic Review Tier 1

When it Comes to Microplastic Pollution, is the Aquaculture Industry a Victim or Perpetrator?

This systematic review examines microplastic contamination in aquaculture facilities and the animals raised in them. The findings show widespread microplastic presence in farmed fish and shellfish, meaning that aquaculture products are a significant pathway for human microplastic exposure, which could affect immune function over time.

2025 Annals of Animal Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic additives and microplastics as emerging contaminants: Mechanisms and analytical assessment

Researchers reviewed how chemical additives mixed into plastics during manufacturing — including stabilizers, flame retardants, and plasticizers — can leach out throughout a plastic's lifecycle and pose risks to ecosystems and human health, with microplastics acting as carriers that concentrate and transport these hazardous chemicals.

2022 TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry 194 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution budget assessment of different integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (imta) systems

Researchers assessed the microplastic pollution budget of different integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems, evaluating how fragmentation and degradation of synthetic construction materials including ropes, infrastructure, and pipes generate microplastic emissions within both open and recirculating aquaculture operations.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

The Occurrence of Microplastics and the Formation of Biofilms by Pathogenic and Opportunistic Bacteria as Threats in Aquaculture

This review examines how microplastics in aquaculture environments serve as habitats and transport vehicles for pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria, with more than 30 taxa of pathogens detected on plastic-associated biofilms. The study suggests that the combination of plastic persistence, closed aquaculture conditions, and pathogen affinity for plastic surfaces creates a significant threat to aquaculture production and food safety.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 63 citations