Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Evaluation of microplastics isolated from sea cucumber Acaudina molpadioides in Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia

Researchers examined sea cucumbers from Langkawi, Malaysia and found over 1,600 microplastic particles in their digestive tracts, with fibers making up more than 99% of the contamination. The most common polymer types identified were polyethylene and polymethyl methacrylate, with the majority of particles falling in the smallest size ranges. The findings raise concerns about potential human exposure to microplastics through seafood consumption.

2023 Heliyon 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of microplastics ingested by sea cucumber Stichopus horrens in Pulau Pangkor, Perak, Malaysia

Researchers examined microplastic ingestion by sea cucumbers (Stichopus horrens) collected from a Malaysian island, finding MPs in all sampled individuals and identifying fibers and fragments as the most common types, consistent with local fishing and aquaculture activity.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion in the black sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota (Brandt, 1835) collected from Rambut Island, Seribu Islands, Jakarta, Indonesia

Scientists found microplastics inside sea cucumbers collected from Indonesian coastal waters near Jakarta, with plastic particles concentrated in the intestines. Sea cucumbers are sediment-feeding bottom dwellers, making them useful indicators of microplastic contamination on the seafloor.

2021 IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic abundance in sea cucumber at seagrass ecosystem of Bintan Island and surrounding area, Indonesia

Researchers found microplastic contamination in sea cucumbers across seagrass ecosystems of Bintan Island, Indonesia, with the highest abundance of 52 particles/individual recorded in Pengudang waters, and fiber-type microplastics dominating at 84 particles/individual across all three harvested species.

2022 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 15 citations
Article Tier 2

The density of microplastic in sea cucumber (Holothuria sp.) and sediment at Tidung Besar and Bira Besar island, Jakarta

Sea cucumbers from Jakarta's Tidung Besar and Bira Besar islands were found to contain microplastics in their tissues, with concentrations correlated to levels in surrounding sediments. Because sea cucumbers ingest sediment while feeding, they accumulate microplastics in proportion to local environmental contamination.

2020 Journal of Physics Conference Series 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary study of microplastics content in the digestive tract of sea cucumber from Demak Waters

Sea cucumbers collected from Demak Waters, Indonesia, were found to contain microplastics in their digestive tracts. Since sea cucumbers are eaten raw in many cultures, this finding raises direct concerns about human microplastic exposure through seafood consumption.

2023 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion by the sandfish Holothuria scabra in Lampung and Sumbawa, Indonesia

Researchers found microplastics in 89% of sandfish sea cucumbers (Holothuria scabra) sampled from Indonesian coastal sites, with fiber shapes and transparent particles predominating, indicating these commercially important invertebrates readily ingest environmental microplastics.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Microplastics Ingested by Sea Cucumber Holothuria Scabra from Pulau Jambongan, Sabah

Researchers found 7,403 microplastic particles in the digestive tracts of 30 sea cucumbers (Holothuria scabra) collected from a Malaysian island, with 99% being fibers and the dominant polymer being polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The high contamination level indicates significant marine pollution in the region and shows that bottom-dwelling sea cucumbers — which process large volumes of sediment — are especially exposed to microplastic accumulation. This is relevant to seafood safety since sea cucumbers are commercially harvested for human consumption.

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

Spatial distribution of microplastics ingested by Holothuria atra (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) in the tourism and marine mariculture development zone, Karimunjawa, Indonesia

Researchers examined microplastics ingested by sea cucumbers (Holothuria atra) in Karimunjawa, Indonesia, finding an average of 14,166 particles per individual, predominantly fibers, with polymer types including polyamide, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene linked to local hydrodynamic patterns.

2023 Environmental Quality Management 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence of Microplastics in Sea Cucumber Paracaudina sp from Karimun Island, Kepulauan Riau, Indonesia

Researchers found microplastics in sea cucumbers collected from Karimun Island in Indonesia's Riau Archipelago, a region with significant anthropogenic activity. Sea cucumbers are deposit feeders that process large volumes of sediment, making them likely to ingest microplastics deposited on the seafloor.

2021 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 5 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics occurrence in sea cucumbers and impacts on sea cucumbers & human health: A systematic review

This systematic review found that microplastics are ubiquitous in sea cucumber ecosystems, with high concentrations in coastal sediments where these deposit feeders live. Some studies report that microplastic ingestion reduces sea cucumber feeding efficiency, alters behavior, and causes tissue damage, raising concerns for both ecosystem health and human consumers of this seafood.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics abundance in sea cucumber Holothuria scabra from Pulau Malawali, Sabah, Malaysia

Researchers measured microplastic abundance in sea cucumbers (Holothuria scabra) from Pulau Malawali in Sabah, Malaysia, finding microplastic particles in all examined specimens. Fibres were the dominant particle type, and concentrations were similar to those reported for sea cucumbers in other tropical regions, confirming widespread microplastic exposure in this commercially important species.

2024 Asia-Pacific Journal of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Article Tier 2

Abundance and Characteristics of Microplastics Found in The Gastrointestinal Tract of Commercial Marine Fish from Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Researchers analyzed microplastic abundance and characteristics in the gastrointestinal tracts of commercial marine fish from Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, providing the first data on seafood microplastic contamination from one of the country's major fisheries production centers.

2023 SQUALEN Bulletin of Marine and Fisheries Postharvest and Biotechnology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Existence of microplastics in the edible part of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus

Researchers demonstrated that microplastics can transfer into the edible body wall of sea cucumbers (Apostichopus japonicus), entering through the outer surface and potentially posing a threat to human health through seafood consumption.

2021 Chemosphere 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic litter transfer from sediments towards marine trophic webs: A case study on holothurians

Sea cucumbers collected from the seafloor around a Sicilian island were found to contain microplastics in their bodies, having ingested them while feeding on sediment. Since sea cucumbers are consumed as food in many cultures, this represents a direct pathway for microplastic exposure in humans.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Chemical fingerprint of plastic litter in sediments and holothurians from Croatia: Assessment & relation to different environmental factors

Sea cucumbers from Croatian island sediments contained microplastics and semi-synthetic fibers, showing that these benthic animals ingest particles from the seafloor. As sea cucumbers are a commercially harvested species, their contamination has direct implications for human dietary exposure to microplastics.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and Characteristics of Microplastics Found in The Gastrointestinal Tract of Commercial Marine Fish from Bitung, North Sulawesi – Indonesia

Researchers analyzed microplastic abundance and characteristics in the gastrointestinal tracts of commercial marine fish from Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, providing baseline contamination data for commercially important species from a major Indonesian fisheries region.

2023 SQUALEN Bulletin of Marine and Fisheries Postharvest and Biotechnology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro and Macroplastics Analysis in the Digestive Tract of a Sea Cucumber (Holothuriidae, Holothuria floridana) of the Placencia Lagoon, Belize

Microplastics and macroplastics were found in the digestive tracts of sea cucumbers from the Placencia Lagoon in Belize, the first such documentation in the Caribbean region, with fragments and fibers present and the sediment-feeding behavior of holothurians making them effective environmental monitors of benthic plastic pollution.

2021 Caribbean Journal of Science 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and Types of Microplastics in Coastal Sediments of Sepanjang Beach

Researchers characterised the distribution and types of microplastics in coastal sediments of Sepanjang Beach, Indonesia, examining microplastic presence in relation to gastropod digestive tract contamination in the local marine environment.

2025 Sriwijaya Journal of Environment
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Marine Fish and Shells in the Coastal Areas of Jember Regency, Indonesia

Researchers detected microplastic contamination in the gastrointestinal tracts of marine fish and shellfish from coastal Jember, Indonesia, finding fibers, fragments, granules, and filaments, with contamination levels varying by species and location.

2023 Jurnal Ilmiah Perikanan dan Kelautan 8 citations
Article Tier 2

An Analysis of Microplastics Ingested by the Mediterranean Detritivore Holothuria tubulosa (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) Sheds Light on Patterns of Contaminant Distribution in Different Marine Areas

Researchers analyzed microplastic ingestion by the Mediterranean sea cucumber Holothuria tubulosa across different marine areas, revealing spatial patterns of contamination that reflect local pollution levels and the species' potential as a bioindicator.

2023 Water 11 citations
Article Tier 2

The Occurrence and Characteristics of Microplastics in Seawater Surface and Sea Cucumber (Holothuria atra and Holothuria edulis) at Similan and Surin Islands (Andaman Sea), Thailand

This study investigated microplastics in surface seawater and two sea cucumber species (Holothuria atra) at Similan Islands, Thailand, finding MPs in both the water and organism tissues. Sea cucumbers accumulated MPs consistent with their filter-feeding behavior, and plastic presence raised food safety concerns for species entering the seafood trade.

2025 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination of Holothuria (Thymiosycia) arenicola Semper, 1868, Holothuria pardalis Selenka, 1867, Sediments and Seawater From Karachi Coast, Northern Arabian Sea, Pakistan

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in two species of sea cucumber, surrounding sediment, and seawater from the coast of Karachi, Pakistan. They found microplastics in all samples, with fibers being the predominant type, and the gut containing the highest concentrations among body parts. The study highlights the potential for microplastics to move through marine food chains, as sea cucumbers are ecologically important organisms in marine ecosystems.

2025 Marine Science and Technology Bulletin 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence of microplastics and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in sea cucumbers under different anthropogenic influences in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain)

Researchers examined sea cucumbers from the Persian Gulf for both microplastics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, finding both types of contamination present. The results suggest that microplastics in marine environments may act as surfaces where antibiotic-resistant bacteria accumulate and spread.

2021 Marine Biology Research 8 citations