Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A new digestion approach for the extraction of microplastics from gastrointestinal tracts (GITs) of the common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) from the western Mediterranean Sea

Researchers developed a novel combined KOH and nitric acid digestion protocol for extracting microplastics from the gastrointestinal tracts of marine fish, and validated it on common dolphinfish from the western Mediterranean Sea. The method improved detection of small MPs, with 65.5% of dolphinfish containing meso- and microplastic fragments and sheets predominantly composed of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid and Efficient Method for the Detection of Microplastic in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Fishes

Researchers developed a rapid and efficient method for detecting microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of aquatic organisms, using an accelerated digestion approach that reduces processing time compared to existing protocols while minimising sample loss and contamination.

2017 Environmental Science & Technology 161 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of the composition and abundance of microplastics in the digestive tract of fish in the Banjaran River, Banyumas District

Researchers identified and quantified microplastic composition and abundance in digestive tract contents of wild-caught fish from a coastal fishery, documenting ingestion rates, polymer types, and particle morphologies across multiple commercially important species.

2025 Acta Aquatica Aquatic Sciences Journal
Article Tier 2

The first observation of the presence of microplastics in wild common bleak (Alburnus alburnus L.) and standardization of extraction protocols

Researchers studied microplastic contamination in the digestive tracts, muscle tissue, and whole bodies of common bleak fish from a Serbian reservoir, comparing different extraction protocols. The study provides first evidence of microplastics in this species while also developing cost-effective extraction methods.

2022 Kragujevac Journal of Science 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Sampling, isolating and identifying microplastics ingested by fish and invertebrates

This study reviewed sampling and identification methods for microplastics ingested by fish and invertebrates, evaluating each approach for accuracy, reproducibility, and applicability to different species and sample types.

2016 Analytical Methods 945 citations
Article Tier 2

Experimental development of a new protocol for extraction and characterization of microplastics in fish tissues: First observations in commercial species from Adriatic Sea

Researchers developed and tested a new protocol for the extraction and characterization of microplastics from environmental samples, optimizing steps for recovery efficiency and polymer identification accuracy.

2015 Marine Environmental Research 768 citations
Article Tier 2

Nondestructive Extraction and Identification of Microplastics from Freshwater Sport Fish Stomachs

Researchers developed a nondestructive protocol for extracting and identifying microplastics from freshwater sport fish stomachs containing large amounts of biological material, enabling more accurate counts without damaging the plastics. This method improvement helps ensure that ingested microplastics in fish are not missed or damaged during laboratory processing.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Protocol for extraction and analysis of microplastics in freshwater, sediment, and fish samples

Researchers developed a standardized protocol for extracting and identifying microplastics from freshwater, sediment, and fish digestive system samples, combining chemical digestion, density separation, vacuum filtration, and Raman spectroscopy to enable reliable, reproducible analysis across aquatic sample types.

2025 STAR Protocols 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effective and easy to use extraction method shows low numbers of microplastics in offshore planktivorous fish from the northern Baltic Sea

Microplastics were found at low levels in planktivorous fish from the northern Baltic Sea using a validated alkaline digestion extraction method. The study demonstrates an efficient, validated protocol for detecting microplastics in fish and provides baseline contamination data for Baltic marine food webs.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Sampling, Isolating and Identifying Microplastics Ingested by Fish and Invertebrates *

This methodological review critically evaluated sampling, isolation, and identification techniques for microplastics ingested by fish and invertebrates, identifying common sources of error including contamination during processing, particle loss, and misidentification — and recommending standardized protocols.

2020 85 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and characterization of microplastic content in the digestive system of riverine fishes

Researchers found microplastics in 93.8% of riverine fish examined, with polystyrene, polyethylene, and nylon being the most common polymer types concentrated near urban and industrial areas, and small particles (0.025-1 mm) predominating across species.

2021 Journal of Environmental Management 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Screening for microplastics in sediment, water, marine invertebrates and fish: Method development and microplastic accumulation

Researchers developed improved methods for extracting microplastics from biological samples and sediments, using enzymatic digestion that achieved 97% particle recovery without damaging the plastics. When applied to field samples from the North Sea and Swedish coast, they found microplastics in 8 of 9 invertebrate species tested and in 68% of brown trout. Mussel tissue contained roughly a thousand times more microplastic particles per kilogram than surrounding sediment or water.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 539 citations
Article Tier 2

Extraction of microplastic from biota: recommended acidic digestion destroys common plastic polymers

This study tested standard acidic tissue digestion protocols used to extract microplastics from marine organisms and found that the recommended nitric acid treatment destroyed certain common plastic types beyond recognition. The findings warn that protocols designed to remove biological tissue can inadvertently degrade the very microplastics researchers are trying to detect.

2016 ICES Journal of Marine Science 252 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment on Microplastics Contamination in Freshwater Fish: a Case Study of the Ubolratana Reservoir, Thailand

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in freshwater fish from the Ubolratana Reservoir, Thailand, finding that 96.4% of 14 examined species had ingested microplastics, and assessed abundance, size, colour, and shape of particles from stomach and intestinal contents across sampling stations.

2021 International Journal of Geomate 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in freshwater fishes in the South of Italy: Characterization, distribution, and correlation with environmental pollutants

Researchers investigated the presence, abundance, and polymer composition of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of freshwater fish from rivers in southern Italy, and evaluated correlations between microplastic ingestion and environmental pollutant levels. They found microplastics in multiple fish species, with fiber morphologies predominating, and identified associations between microplastic burden and co-occurring chemical contaminants in the sampled environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Improving the efficiency of post-digestion method in extracting microplastics from gastrointestinal tract and gills of fish

Researchers compared three post-digestion techniques for separating microplastics from fish tissue samples and found sieving and zinc chloride density separation both achieved over 95% efficiency without damaging most polymer types. The study provides practical guidance for improving the accuracy of microplastic detection in marine biological samples.

2020 Chemosphere 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Food preference determines the best suitable digestion protocol for analysing microplastic ingestion by fish

Different fish species with different diets require different chemical digestion methods for accurately extracting and identifying microplastics from their digestive tracts. Choosing the right protocol for each species is essential for avoiding underestimation of microplastic ingestion, which affects the accuracy of food safety assessments.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation and optimisation of sample preparation protocols suitable for the analysis of plastic particles present in seafood

Ten digestion protocols for extracting microplastics from seafood were compared across a broad range of species, evaluating their ability to fully digest tissue without damaging polymer integrity, providing a basis for selecting suitable methods for human exposure assessment.

2021 Food Control 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in commercial fish from a natural estuarine environment

Researchers examined the gastrointestinal tracts of commercial fish caught from a natural estuarine environment and found microplastics in a significant proportion of individuals, documenting both occurrence rates and particle characteristics.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 586 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro(nano)plastics in the fish gastrointestinal tract: A mini review and relevance to One Health perspective

Researchers reviewed how microplastics and nanoplastics accumulate in fish digestive systems and enter the broader food web, highlighting that the fish gut acts as a critical pathway for these particles — and the chemicals stuck to them — to travel from the environment into the human food supply.

2025 Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health 3 citations
Article Tier 2

¬Occurrence of Microplastic Ingestion by Commercial Fish Species from the Pangempang Estuary in Indonesia

Five commercially important marine fish species from the Pangempang Estuary in Indonesia were examined for microplastic ingestion, with particles found in the digestive organs of all species tested.

2024 Trends in Sciences 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Sample decomposition to determine microplastics in parts of mullets

Researchers developed an optimized potassium hydroxide digestion method for extracting microplastics from different tissues of mullet fish, including meat, skin, and the digestive system. Different tissues required different digestion conditions to achieve effective extraction without destroying the plastic particles. The method improves the accuracy of microplastic detection in fish commonly consumed by people.

2023 HUE UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE NATURAL SCIENCE
Article Tier 2

Microplasts in Freshwater Fish – Problems and Challenges

This review examines microplastic contamination of freshwater fish, covering ingestion evidence from over 150 species, the mechanisms of accumulation in gastrointestinal and other tissues, potential health impacts, and challenges in standardizing quantification methodologies.

2025 Journal Scientific and Applied Research
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion by pelagic and benthic fish and diet composition: A case study in the NW Iberian shelf

Researchers found microplastics in 78% of fish examined across four pelagic and benthic species from the NW Iberian shelf, with ingestion rates varying by feeding ecology and habitat depth, and identified predominantly fibers and fragments in gastrointestinal contents following alkaline tissue digestion.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 97 citations