Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic in riverine fish is connected to species traits

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in fish and surface waters from three Lake Michigan tributaries and found that a fish's feeding behavior — particularly bottom-feeding — was a stronger predictor of microplastic ingestion than the local water concentration. Round goby bottom-feeders had the highest microplastic loads, suggesting that food web position plays a key role in how microplastics accumulate in freshwater fish.

2018 Scientific Reports 372 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

Feeding type and development drive the ingestion of microplastics by freshwater invertebrates

Researchers exposed freshwater invertebrates with different feeding strategies to fluorescent polystyrene microplastics of various sizes and found that all species ingested particles in a concentration-dependent manner. Filter feeders like Daphnia magna consumed the most particles, while feeding type and developmental stage strongly influenced ingestion rates. The study suggests that feeding strategy is a key predictor of microplastic uptake in freshwater food webs, and that younger organisms may be more vulnerable.

2017 Scientific Reports 413 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

Plastic intake does not depend on fish eating habits: Identification of microplastics in the stomach contents of fish on an urban beach in Brazil

Researchers analyzed microplastic content in the stomachs of seven fish species from an urban beach in Brazil and found that trophic guild (carnivore, omnivore, herbivore) did not predict microplastic ingestion rates, suggesting that incidental ingestion during feeding is widespread regardless of diet type.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Is the feeding type related with the content of microplastics in intertidal fish gut?

Researchers compared microplastic ingestion across intertidal fish with different feeding strategies and found that feeding type influenced the amount of plastic found in stomachs. The study suggests that filter feeders and detritivores may ingest more microplastics than active predators, linking ecological role to plastic exposure risk.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 346 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of habitat preference and feeding strategy on exposure to microplastic pollution in freshwater fish species

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in water, sediment, and four commercially important fish species from the Yamula Reservoir in Turkiye. They found that bottom-feeding carp had the highest microplastic burden, while surface-feeding fish had the lowest, indicating that habitat and feeding behavior strongly influence exposure. The most common polymer found was polypropylene, and the study highlights reservoirs as understudied but significantly affected ecosystems.

2024 Chemosphere 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of Amazonian fish species with different feeding habits

Microplastics were found in the gastrointestinal tracts of multiple Amazonian fish species with different feeding habits from Lake Janauacá and the Anavilhanas Archipelago, with feeding strategy influencing ingestion rates—underscoring widespread microplastic contamination even in remote Amazon basin aquatic ecosystems.

2025 Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Swimming behavior affects ingestion of microplastics by fish

This study found that swimming behavior in juvenile cichlid fish influenced how many microplastics they ingested, helping explain the high individual variation in microplastic burden observed within the same species in the wild. The results suggest behavioral differences contribute to differential exposure risk.

2023 Aquatic Toxicology 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Can Fish Escape the Evolutionary Trap Induced by Microplastics?

Researchers tested three fish species—bass, carp, and goldfish—to quantify how their sensory systems and social context influence microplastic ingestion. Bass responded to visual food cues, carp to olfactory ones, and goldfish relied on oral processing; group size and fasting time altered MP ingestion, showing that species-specific foraging strategies create an evolutionary trap around microplastics.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Differences in microplastic abundances within demersal communities highlight the importance of an ecosystem-based approach to microplastic monitoring

This study found significant differences in microplastic abundance among different demersal (bottom-dwelling) fish communities, suggesting that habitat, feeding behavior, and species-specific traits influence how much plastic marine fish ingest. The findings underscore the complexity of predicting microplastic exposure across marine food webs.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Foraging Habit Determines the Amount of Microplastics Ingested in Five Fish Species from a Northern Adriatic Lagoon

A two-season survey of five commercially important fish species in a Northern Adriatic lagoon found that microplastic ingestion rates varied dramatically by feeding strategy — from 16% in surface-feeding silversides to 92% in detritus-feeding mullet — with polyethylene and polypropylene fibres and fragments identified by Raman spectroscopy. The strong link between foraging behaviour and microplastic load has direct implications for food safety risk assessments, since bottom-feeding fish consumed by humans carry the highest burdens.

2026 Water Air & Soil Pollution
Article Tier 2

Fish species, habitat, and capture location outweigh fish mass as drivers of microplastic pollution in Canadian Arctic fishes

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in 435 stomachs and gastrointestinal tracts of seven freshwater fish species from the Canadian Arctic. The study found that fish species, habitat type, and capture location were more important drivers of microplastic levels than fish size, with demersal species and those near larger human populations containing significantly more microplastics.

2026 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Microplastic loads within riverine fishes and macroinvertebrates are not predictable from ecological or morphological characteristics

Researchers measured microplastic loads in riverine fish and macroinvertebrates and found that particle counts were not reliably predicted by species ecology or morphology, suggesting that individual variation and local environmental factors play a larger role in microplastic ingestion than feeding guild or habitat alone.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Fish Feeding Habitat and Diet on Microplastic Concentrations in Gastrointestinal Tracts of St. Lawrence River Fish

This study examined microplastic contamination in fish from the St. Lawrence River in Canada, finding that fish feeding habits and diet significantly influenced how many plastic particles their digestive tracts contained. Bottom-feeding fish that consume sediment-associated food ingested more microplastics, providing insight into how contamination moves through freshwater food webs.

2022 Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University)
Article Tier 2

Do feeding habits influence anthropogenic particle consumption in demersal fish in a tropical estuary? A study from the northern part of the Tropical Eastern Pacific

This study examined how feeding habits and trophic level influence microplastic ingestion in demersal fish from a tropical Mexican estuary, finding that feeding guild and trophic position both affected the type and quantity of anthropogenic particles consumed.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science
Article Tier 2

Foraging preferences influence microplastic ingestion by six marine fish species from the Texas Gulf Coast

Researchers analyzed 1,381 fish from six Gulf Coast species and found microplastics — predominantly fibers — in 42% of individuals, with ingestion patterns reflecting the foraging ecology of each species. The results show that diet and habitat use strongly shape a fish's exposure to microplastic pollution.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 191 citations
Article Tier 2

Does color play a predominant role in the intake of microplastics fragments by freshwater fish: an experimental approach with Psalidodon eigenmanniorum

Researchers examined whether color influences microplastic ingestion by freshwater fish, finding that fish did not selectively ingest microplastics based on color and instead ingested particles indiscriminately, suggesting that visual selectivity is not a primary driver of microplastic uptake in freshwater species.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Species-specific effect of microplastics on fish embryos and observation of toxicity kinetics in larvae

Researchers compared microplastic ingestion across three commercial fish species with different feeding types (carnivores, omnivores, filter feeders), finding that carnivores ingested the least microplastic while omnivores were less able to eliminate them than filter feeders.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 117 citations
Article Tier 2

Uptake routes of microplastics in fishes: practical and theoretical approaches to test existing theories

This experimental study tested multiple proposed mechanisms by which fish ingest microplastics — including prey confusion, accidental ingestion, and trophic transfer — using controlled laboratory conditions, finding that feeding behavior type and prey size relative to particle size are key determining factors.

2020 Scientific Reports 330 citations
Article Tier 2

Trophic transfer of microplastics from mysids to fish greatly exceeds direct ingestion from the water column

This study compared how fish take in microplastics directly from water versus through eating contaminated prey. Researchers found that fish consumed far more microplastics by eating prey organisms that had already ingested plastic particles than by filtering them from the water, highlighting that the food chain is a major route of microplastic exposure for predators.

2021 Environmental Pollution 157 citations
Article Tier 2

Do whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) larvae show adaptive variation in the avoidance of microplastic ingestion?

Researchers tested whether larval European whitefish from different lake populations differ in how much they accidentally ingest polystyrene microspheres when feeding on zooplankton. Significant variation was found between populations, suggesting that fish in more polluted environments may be developing behavioral or physiological adaptations to avoid microplastic ingestion.

2020 Environmental Pollution 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the bioaccumulation of microplastics in commercially important fish species

Researchers assessed microplastic accumulation in commercially important fish species from coastal and offshore waters, finding significant differences between species based on feeding strategies and habitat depth. Filter feeders and omnivorous species accumulated more microplastics than others, reflecting diet-based differences across trophic levels. The study raises concerns about human dietary exposure to microplastics through widely consumed seafood products.

2025 International Journal of Aquatic Research and Environmental Studies 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Independence of microplastic ingestion from environmental load in the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) from the Rhine river using high quality standards

This study found that the amount of microplastics ingested by round goby fish was not closely linked to the concentration of microplastics in their local environment, suggesting individual variability or selective feeding plays a role. The findings complicate efforts to use fish ingestion rates as a direct proxy for environmental microplastic levels.

2020 Environmental Pollution 19 citations