Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Commercial Insect Meal: A Valid Analytical Method to Detect It

Researchers developed and validated an analytical method for detecting microplastic contamination in commercial insect meal, finding microplastics present and underscoring the need for standardized testing as insect-based foods enter the human food chain.

2024 Preprints.org
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

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

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 assessment in aquaculture feeds: Analyzing polymer variability across commercial fishfeeds from three continents

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in commercial aquaculture feeds, detecting particles across multiple feed types and suppliers and characterizing polymer variability, which may introduce plastics into farmed fish.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 5 citations
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

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

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

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

Sustainable Alternative Feed for Aquaculture: State of the Art and Future Perspective

Not directly relevant to microplastics — this review surveys sustainable alternative feed ingredients for aquaculture, covering plant-based proteins, by-products, and insects as replacements for fishmeal and fish oil.

2023 PLANETARY SUSTAINABILITY 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Safety of packaging material in insect feed

This study examines the safety of packaging materials used in insect feed production, assessing potential contamination risks including microplastic transfer within insect rearing systems that use food-grade packaging as part of circular waste-stream initiatives.

2025 Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling
Article Tier 2

Retention and excretion of microplastics by Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae reared on an amino formaldehyde polymer microbeads contaminated substrate

This study examined whether yellow mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) retain or excrete microplastics when raised on contaminated substrates, which is important since mealworms are increasingly used as a food and feed source. Results showed larvae ingested and partially excreted microplastics, raising questions about microplastic accumulation in the food chain through insect-based protein products.

2023 Journal of Insects as Food and Feed 2 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

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

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

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

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

Plastic ingestion in aquatic insects: Implications of waterbirds and landfills and association with stable isotopes

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in aquatic insects (water boatmen and midges) across Mediterranean wetlands in southern Spain. They found 571 suspected microplastic particles, mostly blue polyester and polypropylene fibers, with higher contamination near landfills and in areas frequented by colonial waterbirds that feed at landfills. The study suggests that landfills and birds that visit them serve as significant vectors for transferring microplastics into wetland ecosystems.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
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 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 in fish culture ponds: abundance, characterization, and contamination risk assessment

Researchers surveyed five types of fish farming ponds in Bangladesh and found microplastics in all sediment and water samples, with higher contamination near industrial areas. The most common microplastics were small fragments and fibers made of polyethylene and polypropylene, likely originating from packaging waste and fishing gear. The findings raise concerns about microplastic contamination in farmed fish that are destined for human consumption.

2023 Frontiers in Environmental Science 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic content and using food waste-fed insects in fish feed influence appeal of farmed fish

A consumer choice experiment in Singapore found that people are willing to pay more for farmed fish raised on sustainable insect-based feed, but their enthusiasm drops sharply if they know the fish feed itself contains microplastics. This suggests that microplastic contamination in the food supply chain — even in eco-friendly alternatives — poses a significant commercial and public health concern for the aquaculture industry.

2026 Royal Society Open Science
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