Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics in fish meals: An exposure route for aquaculture animals

Researchers analyzed fish meal samples from ten major producing countries worldwide and found microplastic contamination in all samples tested, averaging 5.5 particles per gram. Fibres were the most common shape, with cellophane, polypropylene, and PET being the dominant polymer types. The study estimates that aquaculture animals fed contaminated fish meal ingest significant quantities of microplastics, identifying fish meal as an important but previously overlooked exposure route.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Commercial Fish Feed in Bangladesh: An Emergent Risk Factor for Aquaculture

Researchers analyzed 21 commercial fish feed samples from Bangladesh and found microplastics present in all of them, with fibers being the most prevalent form across all feed grades. The contamination levels varied between brands and grades, suggesting inconsistent quality control in feed manufacturing. The findings indicate that commercial fish feed is an overlooked pathway through which microplastics enter aquaculture systems and potentially the human food chain.

2025 Aquaculture Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in aquafeed of diverse aquaculture animals

Researchers analyzed commercial aquafeed used for five different farmed aquatic species in China and found microplastics present in all samples. Microfibers were the most common form, with polypropylene as the dominant polymer type, suggesting that feed processing and packaging are the main contamination sources. The findings raise concerns about microplastics entering the human food supply through farmed seafood.

2024 Heliyon 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Aquafeed Ingredients Used as Protein and Carbohydrate Sources

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in common aquafeed ingredients used as protein and carbohydrate sources. They found that poultry by-products had the highest microplastic levels, with polypropylene being a dominant polymer type likely originating from packaging materials. The study identifies a pathway by which microplastics can enter aquaculture food chains through contaminated feed ingredients.

2024 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection and characterisation of microplastics and microfibres in fishmeal and soybean meal

Researchers examined fishmeal and soybean meal used as aquaculture feed ingredients and detected microplastics and semi-synthetic cellulosic microfibers in fishmeal but not in plant-based soybean meal. The findings suggest that animal-based aquaculture feeds represent a route of microplastic contamination for farmed fish.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics contamination in commercial fish meal and feed: a major concern in the cultured organisms

Researchers analyzed commercial fish meal and animal feed samples and found microplastics in all of them, with fish meal containing up to 1,154 particles per kilogram. The contaminated feed is given to farmed fish, shrimp, and chicken, creating a pathway for microplastics to reach humans through the food supply. Feed made from dried fish had higher contamination levels than feed from fresh fish, and the microplastics also carried toxic heavy metals.

2024 Chemosphere 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics contamination in fish feeds: Characterization and potential exposure risk assessment for cultivated fish of Bangladesh

Researchers found significant microplastic contamination in commercial fish feeds used in Bangladesh aquaculture, with a single farmed tilapia potentially consuming over 268 microplastic particles over 20 weeks through its feed alone. The microplastics included 12 different polymer types and some had heavy metals like lead attached to their surfaces. Since farmed fish is a major protein source, this feed-to-fish pathway represents a direct route for microplastics to reach human diets.

2023 Heliyon 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in fish meal: Contamination level analyzed by polymer type, including polyester (PET), polyolefins, and polystyrene

Fish meal produced from wild-caught fish was analyzed for microplastic contamination by polymer type, finding widespread contamination including fiber shapes and diverse polymer compositions. The study raised concerns about microplastic transfer into aquaculture and intensive animal farming through fish meal used as a high-protein feed ingredient.

2020 Environmental Pollution 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative analysis of microplastic pollution in commercially relevant seafood across different geographical regions

Researchers analyzed microplastic pollution in commercially important seafood species, characterizing particle morphology and polymer composition across species. The study found microplastics in all species sampled, with differences in contamination levels linked to feeding ecology and habitat.

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

Microplastic contamination in commercial tilapia feeds: lessons from a developing country

Researchers analyzed commercial tilapia fish feeds from a developing country and found microplastic contamination in every sample tested, with grower feeds containing the highest levels. Fibers made up 85% of the contamination, primarily polypropylene and polyethylene from packaging and processing equipment. The study raises concerns that farmed fish are being exposed to microplastics through their feed, which could ultimately reach human consumers.

2025 Aquaculture International 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of Microplastics in Fish and Shrimp Feeds

Researchers found microplastic contamination in commercial fish and shrimp feeds, detecting particles averaging in the 20 µm to 5 mm size range using density separation and micro-FTIR analysis, raising concerns about microplastic exposure in aquaculture systems.

2021 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and ecological risk of microplastics in different mariculture feeds

Researchers found microplastics in all 23 types of mariculture (ocean fish-farming) feeds tested, averaging over 5,400 particles per kilogram, with sea cucumber feeds showing the highest contamination. The findings reveal that farmed seafood may be ingesting microplastics not just from the environment but directly from their food supply, raising food safety concerns.

2025 Water Cycle
Article Tier 2

Microplastics assessment in Arabian Sea fishes: accumulation, characterization, and method development

Researchers assessed microplastic accumulation in Arabian Sea fish species, developing optimized digestion protocols and characterizing polymer types to trace contamination sources, finding widespread microplastic ingestion across multiple commercially important fish species.

2023 Brazilian Journal of Biology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and properties of microplastics found in commercial fish meal and cultured common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in four varieties of commercial fish meal and then tracked the transfer of those particles to cultured common carp fed on the meal. They found microplastics present in all fish meal varieties, predominantly fragments of polypropylene and polystyrene, with particles transferring to the fish gastrointestinal tract and gills. The study highlights fish meal as a previously overlooked pathway by which microplastics can enter aquaculture and potentially the human food supply.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 158 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in fishmeal: A threatening issue for sustainable aquaculture and human health

Researchers reviewed how microplastics enter aquaculture systems through contaminated fishmeal — made from wild-caught fish that have ingested ocean plastics — and accumulate in farmed fish that are then eaten by humans. The review calls for improved microplastic screening during fish feed production to protect both aquaculture sustainability and public health.

2022 Aquaculture Reports 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of three digestion methods for microplastic extraction from aquaculture feeds

Researchers compared three digestion methods for extracting microplastics from aquaculture feed samples, evaluating their effectiveness and impact on plastic particle integrity. The study found that the choice of digestion protocol significantly affects microplastic recovery rates, highlighting the importance of method standardization for reliable contamination assessments in aquaculture products.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of Microplastic Contamination in Commercial Insect Meals

Researchers analyzed commercial insect meal products used in aquaculture feed and found microplastic contamination in all samples tested. Using specialized detection methods, they identified various polymer types including polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyester within the insect-based feed. The findings raise questions about whether insect farming, promoted as a sustainable protein source, may inadvertently introduce microplastics into the aquaculture food chain.

2024 Environments 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in commercial fish feeds: A major concern for sustainable aquaculture from a developing country

All commercial fish feed samples tested in Bangladesh were contaminated with microplastics, containing between 500 and 2,200 particles per kilogram. The most common plastics found were polyethylene and PVC, which fall into high-risk categories for toxicity. This is concerning because microplastics in fish feed enter farmed fish that people eat, creating a direct pathway for human exposure through aquaculture products.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis and inorganic composition of microplastics in commercial Malaysian fish meals

Three Malaysian commercial fish meal brands were analyzed for microplastic content, with 64.3% of extracted particles confirmed as plastics (mainly polyester and polyamide fragments) and trace metal contaminants identified by EDX spectroscopy. The findings indicate that cultured organisms fed these meals could be exposed to microplastics and associated inorganic pollutants.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 114 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

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

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

Seasonal patterns of microplastics in surface sediments of a Mediterranean lagoon heavily impacted by human activities (Bizerte lagoon, Northern Tunisia)

This study characterized microplastic contamination in commercial fish feed and cultured salmon, finding particles in both feed pellets and fish intestinal tissues. Polyamide and polyethylene terephthalate were the most frequently identified polymers, linking contamination to feed processing equipment.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 9 citations