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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Long-term trends in stream benthic macroinvertebrate communities are driven by chemicals
ClearMicroplastics and riverine macroinvertebrate communities in a multiple-stressor context: A mesocosm approach
Researchers conducted a seven-week experiment using streamside channels to study how microplastics of different sizes and concentrations affect freshwater invertebrate communities, both alone and combined with fine sediment. They found that microplastic effects on invertebrate abundance and community composition were generally modest compared to the well-known impacts of sediment pollution. The study suggests that in real-world streams facing multiple stressors, microplastics may not be the dominant threat to bottom-dwelling organisms.
Triggers for the Impoverishment of the Macroinvertebrate Communities in the Human-Impacted Rivers of Two Central European Ecoregions
This study investigated triggers for macroinvertebrate community impoverishment in human-impacted rivers across two Central European ecoregions, finding that hydromorphological degradation and invasive species introduction were stronger drivers of biodiversity loss than water chemistry alone.
Long-term exposure of a free-living freshwater micro- and meiobenthos community to microplastic mixtures in microcosms
Researchers exposed a natural freshwater micro- and meiobenthos community to microplastic mixtures in long-term microcosm experiments, finding community-level effects that differ from single-species studies and highlighting the importance of realistic multi-polymer exposure scenarios.
The Role of Landscape Configuration, Season, and Distance from Contaminant Sources on the Degradation of Stream Water Quality in Urban Catchments
A study of a Portuguese river basin found that landscape configuration and proximity to pollution point sources both affect stream macroinvertebrate communities. Macroinvertebrates are sensitive to microplastic pollution, and their decline in contaminated streams can indicate broader ecosystem degradation.
The effects of land‐use change on semi‐aquatic bugs (Gerromorpha, Hemiptera) in rainforest streams in Sabah, Malaysia
Not relevant to microplastics — this ecological study investigates how logging and conversion to oil palm plantation affects the abundance and diversity of semi-aquatic insects in streams in Sabah, Malaysia.
Microplastics in freshwater sediments: Effects on benthic invertebrate communities and ecosystem functioning assessed in artificial streams
Researchers tested the effects of polyethylene microplastics on freshwater invertebrate communities in artificial streams using environmentally relevant concentrations. They found that microplastics significantly reduced the abundance of deposit-feeding and grazing organisms by 31-50%, with chironomids and mayflies showing the highest ingestion of plastic particles.
The effect of urban point source contamination on microplastic levels in water and organisms in a cold‐water stream
Microplastic concentrations in water, macroinvertebrates, and trout in a Wisconsin stream increased significantly downstream of stormwater outfalls and a wastewater plant. The study demonstrates that point sources of pollution drive measurable increases in microplastic contamination in freshwater food webs.
In Situ Effects of a Microplastic Mixture on the Community Structure of Benthic Macroinvertebrates in a Freshwater Pond
Researchers conducted an in situ mesocosm experiment adding a realistic microplastic mixture to freshwater pond sediments and monitored benthic macroinvertebrate communities over time, finding that MP exposure shifted community composition and reduced taxonomic richness at environmentally relevant concentrations.
Microplastic accumulation in benthic macroinvertebrates is widespread, regardless of the river ecological status
A broad survey of freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates across multiple rivers found that microplastic accumulation was widespread regardless of local urban development levels, suggesting that factors beyond proximity to urban areas—such as river hydrology and upstream sources—drive MP exposure in freshwater invertebrates.
Response of Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Communities to Various Anthropogenic Stressors in Lolab Streams- A Lotic System of the Indian Himalayan Region
Researchers evaluated how multiple anthropogenic stressors including pollution and altered water chemistry affect freshwater macroinvertebrate communities in Himalayan streams, finding that community composition served as an effective bioindicator of human-induced environmental degradation in this temperate lotic system.
Comparing effects of microplastic exposure, FPOM resource quality, and consumer density on the response of a freshwater particle feeder and associated ecosystem processes
Researchers found that realistic microplastic concentrations had minimal direct effects on freshwater particle feeders compared to the much stronger influences of food resource quality and consumer density on growth, survival, and ecosystem processes in stream microcosms.
Diversity of caddisflies (Trichoptera), water quality factors, and microplastics in a northern Thai stream
Caddisfly (Trichoptera) diversity was examined in relation to water quality and microplastic presence, finding that plastic contamination correlates with shifts in caddisfly community composition. Because caddisflies are widely used as bioindicators of water quality, plastic pollution may compromise standard bioassessment methods.
High macroplastic pollution in a subtropical urban lake affects macroinvertebrate community structure
Researchers examined the effects of high macroplastic pollution in a subtropical urban lake on macroinvertebrate communities, finding that plastic debris significantly altered benthic assemblages and reduced biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems that have received less ecological attention than marine environments.
Microplastics in freshwater ecosystems : effects and drivers
This thesis assessed how microplastic exposure affects freshwater microorganisms, macroinvertebrates, and other organisms in freshwater ecosystems, finding that microplastics are a pervasive contaminant of freshwater environments with unclear but potentially significant ecological impacts.
Ecological risks in a ‘plastic’ world: A threat to biological diversity?
This review synthesized evidence on how microplastic pollution affects biological diversity and community structure across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, finding that most studies document effects at the individual level but that community- and ecosystem-level impacts remain poorly characterized.
Quantifying and classifying microplastics and microparticles across aquatic heterotrophs from headwater streams in central Pennsylvania
Researchers found microparticle contamination across multiple trophic levels in remote forested headwater streams in central Pennsylvania, with secondary consumers showing the highest contamination rates and µFTIR confirming true microplastics at two of five sampling sites.
The fate and ecological consequences of microplastics in non-perennial streams
This review examines the fate and ecological consequences of microplastics in non-perennial (intermittent) streams, which represent the majority of waterways globally yet have been largely overlooked in microplastic research. The authors identify key knowledge gaps around how alternating wet and dry phases affect microplastic transport, fragmentation, and accumulation, as well as impacts on organism communities in these ecosystems.
Disentangling the influence of microplastics and their chemical additives on a model detritivore system
Researchers disentangled the physical and chemical effects of microplastics on freshwater detritivores, finding that chemical additives leaching from plastics contributed more to negative impacts on organisms than the polymer particles themselves.
Microplastics accumulation in functional feeding guilds and functional habit groups of freshwater macrobenthic invertebrates: Novel insights in a riverine ecosystem
Microplastics were found across functional feeding groups and habitat types of freshwater macroinvertebrates in an Italian river, with collector-gatherers and sediment-dwelling species showing higher contamination, confirming that dietary and behavioral ecology shapes microplastic exposure patterns in invertebrate communities.
Microplastics have lethal and sublethal effects on stream invertebrates and affect stream ecosystem functioning
Using a mesocosm experiment, researchers showed that microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations caused lethal and sublethal effects on freshwater invertebrates and reduced key ecosystem functions including leaf litter decomposition and algal colonization of streambed substrates.
The organism fate of inland freshwater system under micro-/nano-plastic pollution: A review of past decade.
This review synthesized a decade of research on how micro- and nano-plastics affect freshwater organisms including microalgae, macrophytes, zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, and fish, finding that impacts range from impaired photosynthesis and oxidative stress to reproductive disruption and behavioral changes across multiple biological levels.
Microplastics and leaf litter decomposition dynamics: New insights from a lotic ecosystem (Northeastern Italy)
Researchers studied how microplastics affect the natural decomposition of plant litter in a freshwater stream over four seasons, finding that microplastics had a small but measurable negative effect on decomposition rates and accumulated inside the invertebrates responsible for breaking down organic matter. These findings suggest microplastic pollution subtly disrupts the nutrient cycling processes that keep freshwater ecosystems healthy.
Microplastics in freshwaters: Comparing effects of particle properties and an invertebrate consumer on microbial communities and ecosystem functions
Researchers tested how different microplastic properties, including concentration, shape, and polymer type, affect microbial communities and ecosystem functions in freshwater environments. They found that the presence of an invertebrate consumer had a stronger influence on microbial activity than the microplastics themselves, though high concentrations of certain particle shapes did alter community composition. The study suggests that the ecological effects of microplastics in freshwater depend heavily on the broader biological context.
Benthic Fauna Enhance Biodegradation of Microplastics in Riparian Sediments: Reactive Oxygen, Keystone Microbes, and Metabolites
Laboratory experiments found that benthic (bottom-dwelling) fauna accelerated the biodegradation of microplastics in riverine sediments through bioturbation and microbial activity. This suggests that diverse benthic communities may play an underappreciated role in naturally breaking down plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems.