Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic in the stomachs of open-ocean and deep-sea fishes of the North-East Atlantic

Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence in the stomachs of 390 fish from three pelagic and two deep-sea species in the North-East Atlantic, comparing plastic ingestion between fish occupying contrasting ocean compartments. The study documented microplastic presence across species at different depths, highlighting how plastic contamination extends throughout the oceanic water column.

2020 Environmental Pollution 116 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate of microplastics in deep-sea sediments and its influencing factors: Evidence from the Eastern Indian Ocean

Surface sediments from 26 sites in the deep basin of the Eastern Indian Ocean were analyzed for microplastics, finding concentrations ranging widely and influenced by water depth, distance from land, and ocean current patterns. The study extends deep-sea microplastic monitoring to the Indian Ocean and identifies oceanographic transport as a key control on plastic distribution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in epipelagic and mesopelagic fishes from Tuticorin, Southeast coast of India

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in seawater and six fish species from different ocean depth habitats near Tuticorin, India. The study found microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of both epipelagic and mesopelagic fish, with contamination levels varying by species and habitat, suggesting that microplastic exposure extends across different marine depth zones and could affect human exposure through seafood consumption.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 167 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion by pelagic and benthic fish and diet composition: A case study in the NW Iberian shelf

Researchers found microplastics in 78% of fish examined across four pelagic and benthic species from the NW Iberian shelf, with ingestion rates varying by feeding ecology and habitat depth, and identified predominantly fibers and fragments in gastrointestinal contents following alkaline tissue digestion.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 97 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in thirty commercially important fish species: Distribution, polymer composition, pollution indices, and human health risks

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in 600 specimens across 30 commercially important fish species from the Indian coast, finding the highest accumulation in the gastrointestinal tract with carnivorous species carrying the greatest burden. Polyethylene and polypropylene fibers were the dominant particle types, and human health risk assessment showed measurable daily intake from consuming these fish, with pollution indices indicating considerable to medium hazard risk levels.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion by deep‐pelagic crustaceans and fishes

Among 557 individual deep-pelagic crustaceans and fishes from the Gulf of Mexico, 29% of crustaceans and 26% of fishes had ingested microplastics, with ingestion rates in non-migratory fishes increasing with depth and reaching 40% at 1200-1500 m, suggesting plastic accumulates at greater ocean depths.

2023 Limnology and Oceanography 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence and Characterization of Microplastics in Coastal Fish around the Eastern Coast of Thailand

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in 274 fish from Thailand's eastern coast and found that about 13% of specimens had ingested microplastics, predominantly PET fibers. Pelagic species showed slightly higher microplastic ingestion rates than bottom-dwelling species, though overall the contamination was relatively low compared to global averages. The study suggests that fish feeding behavior and habitat influence their exposure to microplastic pollution.

2021 Sustainability 51 citations
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

Synthetic and Semi-Synthetic Microplastic Ingestion by Mesopelagic Fishes From Tristan da Cunha and St Helena, South Atlantic

Scientists examined the digestive tracts of deep-sea mesopelagic fish from the remote South Atlantic and found microplastics in their intestines. The presence of plastic in fish at depths down to 1,000 meters in one of the most isolated ocean regions confirms that microplastic contamination has reached even the deep ocean.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative study of microplastic ingestion in commercial fish species from macaronesia

Researchers analyzed microplastic ingestion in 634 fish from seven commercially important species across all four Macaronesian archipelagos, comparing abundance and characteristics of ingested particles across species with different habitats, feeding behaviors, and geographic distributions.

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

Comparative study of microplastic ingestion in commercial fish species from macaronesia

Researchers analyzed the gastrointestinal contents of 634 fish from seven commercial species across all four Macaronesian archipelagos to compare microplastic ingestion rates by species, habitat, and feeding behavior. They found microplastics across all species and locations, with ingestion rates varying by species ecology, contributing baseline contamination data for commercially important fish in this Atlantic island region.

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

Ingestion of microplastics in commercially important species along Thoothukudi coast, south east India

Researchers found microplastics in the guts of 12 commercially important marine species along India's Thoothukudi coast, with herbivores showing the highest ingestion rates and evidence of biomagnification across trophic levels, suggesting feeding habits — not habitat or body size — drive microplastic accumulation.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic microfibre ingestion by deep-sea organisms

Researchers provided the first evidence that microplastics are being ingested and internalized by deep-sea organisms living on the ocean floor. The study found plastic microfibres in multiple deep-water species, demonstrating that microplastic contamination has already reached some of the most remote habitats on Earth.

2016 Scientific Reports 491 citations
Article Tier 2

Influencing factors for microplastic intake in abundant deep-sea lanternfishes (Myctophidae)

Researchers found microplastics in 68% of mesopelagic lanternfish from the Southwestern Tropical Atlantic, with body size and feeding depth identified as key factors influencing microplastic intake in these abundant deep-sea fish.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Considering ecological traits of fishes to understand microplastic ingestion across Pacific coastal fisheries

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in coastal fish across four Pacific Island nations (Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) using standardized methods. By analyzing 878 fish across multiple species, they found that ecological traits such as feeding behavior and habitat use influenced microplastic ingestion patterns, providing important context for understanding contamination risks in Pacific coastal fisheries.

2026 PLoS ONE
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 pollution in deep-sea sediments and organisms of the Western Pacific Ocean

Researchers collected deep-sea sediment and organism samples from multiple sites in the western Pacific Ocean and found microplastics at all locations sampled, with depth, distance from land, and current patterns influencing accumulation, confirming the western Pacific deep sea as a significant microplastic sink.

2020 Environmental Pollution 378 citations
Article Tier 2

The extent of microplastic pollution along the eastern coast of India: Focussing on marine waters, beach sand, and fish

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination across water, sand, and fish from seven major beaches along India's eastern coast, finding widespread pollution dominated by polyethylene and polystyrene with hazard indices indicating potential ecological risk.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic density as a key factor in the presence of microplastic in the gastrointestinal tract of commercial fishes from Campeche Bay, Mexico

Researchers found microplastics in 316 particles across 240 gastrointestinal tracts from six commercially consumed fish species in Campeche Bay, Mexico, with average ingestion of 1.31 MPs per fish, and found that fish feeding in mid-water column tended to ingest denser polymer types reflecting their depth distribution.

2020 Environmental Pollution 106 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Geographical and ecological factors affect microplastic body burden in marine fish at global scale

This systematic review analyzed microplastic levels found in marine fish worldwide and identified key factors driving contamination. Fish from areas with heavy human activity contained more microplastics, and since many of these species are eaten by people, this contamination represents a direct route of human exposure through seafood.

2024 Environmental Pollution 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Consistent microplastic ingestion by deep-sea invertebrates over the last four decades (1976–2015), a study from the North East Atlantic

Researchers found consistent microplastic ingestion by deep-sea invertebrates in the North East Atlantic over a 40-year period from 1976 to 2015, demonstrating that microplastic contamination of remote deep-sea habitats is a long-standing and persistent problem.

2018 Environmental Pollution 108 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of feeding biology and diet-associated microplastic contamination in selected creek fishes of northeastern Arabian Sea: A multi-species approach

Researchers studied the feeding biology and diet-associated microplastic contamination of selected fish species, finding that feeding habits directly influence the quantity and type of microplastics ingested. The results demonstrate that trophic position and prey preferences are key predictors of microplastic exposure in wild fish.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 11 citations
Article Tier 2

The influences of spatial-temporal variability and ecological drivers on microplastic in marine fish in Hong Kong

Researchers found that over 57% of marine fish in Hong Kong waters contained microplastics, with higher abundance in fish from more polluted western waters during the wet season, and that omnivorous fish ingested significantly more microplastics than carnivorous fish regardless of collection location or season.

2023 Environmental Pollution 10 citations
Article Tier 2

The presence of microplastics in fishes of South Maldives

Researchers found microplastics in the gut, gills, and flesh of two fish species collected from South Maldives, with 80% of one species containing plastic particles, indicating widespread ingestion by reef fish in this remote island nation and potential transfer into the human food chain.

2022 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 5 citations