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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Little evidence for bioaccumulation or biomagnification of microplastics in a deep-sea food web
ClearPrevalence of microplastics and anthropogenic debris within a deep-sea food web
Researchers documented microplastic prevalence across 17 genera spanning approximately five trophic levels in the Monterey Bay submarine canyon food web, finding evidence of trophic transfer of microplastics through the deep-sea ecosystem and higher contamination in organisms from mid-water and benthic habitats.
Large size (>100‐μm) microplastics are not biomagnifying in coastal marine food webs of British Columbia, Canada
Researchers quantified microplastic uptake across multiple trophic levels in a coastal British Columbia food web including bivalves, crabs, echinoderms, and fish, finding no evidence of biomagnification for particles larger than 100 micrometers. Suspension feeders and small planktivorous fish had the highest ingestion rates, and rapid excretion appeared to prevent accumulation in higher predators.
Microplastic accumulation and biomagnification in a coastal marine reserve situated in a sparsely populated area
Microplastics were quantified across a benthic food web at a remote California marine reserve, finding concentrations of 36.59 plastics/L in seawater, and with densities increasing from macroalgae to herbivorous snails to predatory invertebrates, suggesting biomagnification potential in coastal food webs. The study provides rare evidence of microplastic concentration increases across trophic levels in a near-pristine coastal ecosystem.
Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of microplastics in marine organisms: A review and meta-analysis of current data
This meta-analysis reviews current evidence on whether microplastics accumulate and concentrate as they move up the marine food chain. The findings have direct implications for seafood safety, since biomagnification would mean that larger predatory fish consumed by humans could contain higher concentrations of microplastics and their associated chemical additives.
Toward an Improved Understanding of the Ingestion and Trophic Transfer of Microplastic Particles: Critical Review and Implications for Future Research
A comprehensive review of over 800 species found that while microplastics are routinely found in the digestive tracts of aquatic organisms, they do not appear to bioaccumulate or biomagnify through food webs, with over 99% of observations locating particles in the gastrointestinal tract rather than tissues. The review calls for more standardized sampling and reporting to enable better temporal and spatial trend analysis.
Microplastic in tissue of marine organisms
This review summarizes microplastic detection across various marine organism tissues, cataloging accumulation in fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals and highlighting that ingestion and trophic transfer are widespread across marine food webs.
Assessment of microplastic bioconcentration, bioaccumulation and biomagnification in a simple coral reef food web
Researchers assessed microplastic bioconcentration, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification across three trophic levels in a coral reef food web, including zooplankton, benthic crustaceans, and reef fish. The study suggests that microplastics accumulate differently depending on species and trophic position, providing important baseline data for understanding ecological risks of microplastic contamination in coral reef ecosystems.
Microplastic accumulation in marine organisms across trophic levels along the west coast of India
This study compared microplastic accumulation across trophic levels — including invertebrates, small fish, and large fish — at two locations along the west coast of a marine region. MP abundance decreased with increasing trophic level, suggesting dilution rather than biomagnification, but species at higher trophic positions still carried measurable contamination.
Bioaccumulation, biomagnification and ecological risk evaluation of microplastics in Sanggou Bay, China
Researchers studied microplastic contamination in marine organisms across Sanggou Bay, China, and found plastic particles in every species examined, with concentrations varying by organism. They discovered evidence of biomagnification, meaning microplastics accumulated to higher concentrations up the food chain, with smaller particles, fibers, and polystyrene showing the strongest transfer between species. The study provides new evidence that the physical characteristics of microplastics influence how they move through marine food webs.
Do Larger Microplastics Biomagnify in the Digestive Tracts of Coastal Marine Animals?
Researchers collected coastal marine animals across multiple trophic levels using beach seining, snorkeling, and SCUBA diving, then used stable isotope analysis to examine whether larger microplastics biomagnify in digestive tracts with increasing trophic position, finding limited evidence for systematic biomagnification of larger particles.
Modeling the Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification Potential of Microplastics in a Cetacean Foodweb of the Northeastern Pacific: A Prospective Tool to Assess the Risk Exposure to Plastic Particles
A bioaccumulation model for microplastics in humpback whale and resident killer whale foodwebs of the Northeastern Pacific predicted low to moderate MP bioaccumulation factors across trophic levels, suggesting that while MPs transfer through food webs, they do not strongly biomagnify in these cetacean systems.
Application of marine organisms at multi-trophic level to study the integrated biological responses induced by microplastics through food-chain
Researchers used marine organisms across multiple trophic levels to study how microplastics move and accumulate through the food chain, finding that toxicological effects intensify at higher trophic levels due to bioaccumulation of plastic particles and associated chemical pollutants.
Observing the Effects of Marine Debris Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification
This study examines how marine debris, particularly microplastics and heavy metals, bioaccumulates and biomagnifies through marine food webs, with organisms ingesting microplastics as they move through ocean currents. The review considers the ecological consequences of microplastic ingestion across trophic levels and the implications for food chain safety as humans sit at the top of the marine food web.
Microplastics in different tissues of a pelagic squid (Dosidicus gigas) in the northern Humboldt Current ecosystem
Microplastics were identified in multiple tissues of the Humboldt squid from the northern Humboldt Current ecosystem, including digestive gland, mantle, and gills, indicating systemic exposure beyond the gut in this commercially important cephalopod.
How plastic debris and associated chemicals impact the marine food web: A review.
This review examined how plastic debris and associated chemicals disrupt marine food webs at all trophic levels, from physical entanglement and false satiation in megafauna to microplastic ingestion and chemical transfer through trophic magnification, concluding that plastic contamination poses systemic threats to marine ecosystem function.
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.
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.
Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of microplastics in oceanic food webs
Researchers quantified microplastic bioaccumulation and trophic transfer across food web levels in the Laccadive Sea, Western Indian Ocean, from zooplankton through top predators. Microplastics were found in 95% of samples, with highest concentrations in predatory fish like swordfish (832 items/individual), demonstrating substantial biomagnification across trophic levels.
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.
Microplastic occurrence in selected aquatic species of the Persian Gulf: No evidence of trophic transfer or effect of diet
Researchers examined microplastic contamination in six fish species, one mollusk, and three crustacean species from the Persian Gulf, finding no evidence of trophic transfer of microplastics or dietary effects on contamination levels across species.