Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in bivalves of an urbanized Brazilian estuary: Human modification, population density and vegetation influence

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in oysters, clams, and mussels from a heavily urbanized estuary in Brazil, finding that industrial and port activities were stronger predictors of contamination than population density. Clams accumulated the most microplastics, and the study highlights how shellfish from polluted coastal areas can serve as indicators of the microplastic levels humans may be exposed to through seafood.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 21 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in wild populations of decapod crustaceans: A review

Researchers reviewed the occurrence and characteristics of microplastics found in wild populations of decapod crustaceans including crabs and shrimps. They found that fibrous microplastics smaller than 1 mm were the most commonly detected type, and that edible portions generally contained fewer microplastics than non-edible parts. The review highlights the importance of understanding microplastic contamination in commercially valuable crustaceans for both ecological and food safety assessments.

2021 Chemosphere 74 citations
Article Tier 2

The Presence, Abundance and Characteristics of Microplastics in some Crustaceans Species: Blue swimmer crab (Portunus armatus), Banana prawn (Penaeus merguiensis) and in Molluscs: Bivalve mollusc oyster (Amiantis umbonella) and Razor shell (Solen roseomaculatus) on Bandar Abbas City Shores, Southern Iran

Microplastic abundance and characteristics were assessed in four shellfish and crustacean species collected from five sites along the shores of Bandar Abbas, Iran on the Persian Gulf. Microplastics were detected in all four species - blue swimmer crab, banana prawn, oyster, and razor shell - with variation linked to site industrialization and urbanization levels.

2024 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Ingestion and polymeric risk assessment of microplastic contamination in commercially important brachyuran crab Portunus sanguinolentus

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in a commercially important crab species from three fishing harbors in India and found plastics in every location sampled. The crabs contained an average of 0.67 microplastic particles per gram, with polyethylene and polystyrene among the most common types, and pollution levels rated as very high risk at all sites. Since these crabs are widely eaten, the findings suggest that seafood consumers may be regularly ingesting microplastics.

2023 Frontiers in Marine Science 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative study on the microplastics abundance, characteristics, and possible sources in yellow clams of different demographic regions of the northwest coast of India

Researchers measured microplastics in yellow clams collected from urban and rural coastal sites along northwest India, finding some of the highest contamination levels ever recorded globally — averaging 91 microplastic particles per individual clam. Clams from heavily populated areas showed worse health scores, suggesting microplastic exposure may be directly harming shellfish that people eat.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental risk of microplastics in a Mexican coastal lagoon ecosystem: Anthropogenic inputs and its possible human food risk

Researchers found extremely high microplastic concentrations in a Mexican coastal lagoon, with levels hundreds of thousands of times above those in other protected areas. Fishing and urban activities were the main sources, contributing polyethylene and PET fragments. The study estimated that a single serving of locally harvested oysters could expose a person to over 800 microplastic particles.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Source and risk assessment of heavy metals and microplastics in bivalves and coastal sediments of the Northern Persian Gulf, Hormogzan Province

Researchers assessed heavy metal contamination and microplastic distribution in coastal sediments and edible bivalves from the northern Persian Gulf in Hormozgan Province. They found varying levels of both pollutant types across sampling sites, with proximity to industrial and urban areas correlating with higher contamination. The study provides a risk assessment indicating that combined exposure to heavy metals and microplastics through seafood consumption in the region warrants monitoring.

2021 Environmental Research 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of Microplastics in Coastal Waters and Their Implications for the Marine Food Chain

This study investigated microplastic distribution in three coastal zones in Indonesia—urban, industrial, and conservation—and examined implications for marine food chain transfer. Industrial areas showed highest contamination, and shellfish contained higher microplastic burdens than finfish, suggesting trophic transfer risk differs by feeding strategy.

2025 Aquapolis.
Systematic Review Tier 1

A systematic review on microplastic contamination in marine Crustacea and Mollusca of Asia: Current scenario, concentration, characterization, polymeric risk assessment, and future Prospectives

This systematic review documented microplastic contamination in shellfish and crustaceans across Asia, finding 79 species affected. Since these seafood species are widely consumed, the presence of microplastics — especially polyethylene and polypropylene — in their tissues represents a direct route of human exposure through diet.

2024 Water Environment Research 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Eating Near the Dump: Identification of Nearby Plastic Hotspot as a Proxy for Potential Microplastic Contamination in the Norwegian Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus)

Researchers found that proximity to marine plastic waste hotspots was correlated with higher microplastic ingestion in Norwegian lobster (Nephrops norvegicus), establishing the first direct spatial link between macroplastic dump sites and microplastic contamination in benthic organisms.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial heterogeneity of microplastic pollution and associated emerging contaminants in tropical estuarine environments: Novel insights into distribution, bioavailability, and ecological risk

Scientists found tiny plastic particles in water, mud, and seafood like shellfish and crabs in two river areas in India. These microplastics carry harmful chemicals and are getting into the food chain, which could affect the safety of seafood that people eat. While the current risk appears low, this research shows we need better policies to reduce plastic pollution to protect both ocean ecosystems and human food sources.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Plastic contamination in commercially valuable decapods caught near a major Australian urban centre

Researchers examined the digestive tracts of four commercially harvested decapod crustacean species near Perth, Western Australia for microplastics, and tested muscle and hepatopancreas tissue for plasticizer chemicals. Microplastics were found in all species' guts, and phthalate and bisphenol plasticizers were detected in edible tissues, raising food safety concerns for local seafood consumers.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Determination of microplastics in commercial bivalves and estimation of exposure among population in Pasir Penambang, Kuala Selangor

Researchers measured microplastic abundance and characteristics in commercial bivalves from Pasir Penambang, Malaysia, and estimated human dietary exposure, finding that regular consumption of locally sold shellfish poses a notable microplastic ingestion risk.

2023 UiTM Institutional Repositories (Universiti Teknologi MARA)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in seafood: Implications for food security, safety, and human health

This review examines how microplastics contaminate seafood -- from fish and shellfish to seaweed -- and what that means for food safety and human health. Marine organisms accumulate microplastics along with the harmful chemicals and antibiotic-resistant bacteria attached to them, creating multiple exposure risks when people eat seafood. With global seafood consumption rising sharply, the authors argue that microplastic contamination in the food supply deserves urgent attention from food safety regulators.

2023 Journal of Sea Research 73 citations
Article Tier 2

An examination of the occurrence and potential risks of microplastics across various shellfish

Researchers compared microplastic contamination levels in commercial shellfish from northern (Qingdao) and southern (Xiamen) China, finding microplastics in 70-100% of samples. The study assessed potential human health risks from consuming contaminated shellfish, with microplastic abundances varying across species and geographic locations.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 154 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Exposure by Razor Clam Recreational Harvester-Consumers Along a Sparsely Populated Coastline

Researchers quantified microplastic burdens in Pacific razor clams collected from eight harvest sites along the Olympic Coast, Washington, and combined this with questionnaire data from 107 recreational harvesters to estimate annual microplastic ingestion from clam consumption. The study provided baseline contamination data for a culturally and economically important shellfish species and estimated the dietary microplastic exposure of coastal harvester-consumers.

2020 Frontiers in Marine Science 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution Patterns and Human Exposure Risks of Microplastics in Dominant Wild Edible Shrimp: A Case Study of Haizhou Bay Marine Ranch

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in dominant wild shrimp species in Haizhou Bay, China, characterizing the types, sizes, and concentrations of MPs found in their bodies and assessing the human dietary exposure risks from consuming these economically important seafood species.

2025 Water
Article Tier 2

Potential risks of accumulated microplastics in shells and soft tissues of cultured hard clams (Meretrix taiwanica) and associated metals

Researchers found microplastics in both the shells and soft tissues of farmed hard clams in Taiwan, with small fibers being the most common type. The soft tissues showed higher potential ecological risk from microplastics than the shells, and the health risk from eating contaminated clams was greater for children than adults. While metal levels in the clams were within safe limits, the study highlights shellfish as another source of human microplastic exposure.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Pollution Indices of Microplastic Contamination in Commercially Important Brachyuran Crab (Portunus sanguinolentus)

A study of 300 commercially harvested three-spot swimming crabs (Portunus sanguinolentus) from three ports in Gujarat, India, found microplastics in all samples, with two of the three sites classified in the highest risk contamination categories. Fibers dominated, and common packaging polymers including polyethylene and polystyrene were identified, raising food safety concerns for seafood consumers in the region.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Kandungan Mikroplastik pada Rajungan (Portunus pelagicus), Air Laut, dan Sedimen Di Perairan Desa Gugunung Wetan Kabupaten Rembang, Jawa Tengah

This Indonesian study measured microplastic concentrations in blue swimming crabs, seawater, and sediment from coastal waters in Central Java. The detection of microplastics in both the environment and in a commercially important crab species raises food safety concerns for communities that consume these crabs regularly.

2023 BULETIN OSEANOGRAFI MARINA
Article Tier 2

Microplastics contamination in bivalves from the Daya Bay: Species variability and spatio-temporal distribution and human health risks

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in six species of bivalves from Daya Bay, China, finding microplastics present in 87 to 93% of individuals sampled. Sediment-dwelling bivalves had higher microplastic levels than water-dwelling species, and the types of microplastics found in the shellfish matched those in the surrounding seawater and sediment. A risk assessment based on polymer hazard levels indicated that microplastic contamination in these bivalves may pose health risks to humans who consume them as seafood.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring synergistic contamination of heavy metals and microplastics in marine edible fishes and associated risk status in humans

Researchers assessed heavy metal and microplastic contamination in multiple marine fish species along the Gujarat coastline and found substantial spatial and interspecies variation. Some species exceeded safe metal thresholds, and MP contamination was prevalent, with combined exposure posing amplified health risks for local consumers.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Pacific Northwest Bivalves: Ecological Prevalence, Harvester-Consumer Exposure, and Aquarium Exhibit Outcomes

Researchers quantified microplastics in Pacific oysters and razor clams from 15 coastal sites in Oregon, finding widespread contamination across the Pacific Northwest coast. The study also assessed exposure risks to seafood harvesters and consumers, contributing to understanding of how coastal plastic pollution reaches human food supplies.

2000
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastic in Mexican Coastal Areas Using Mussels ( Mytilus spp.) as Biomonitors

This study used mussels as bioindicators to assess microplastic contamination along the Mexican Pacific coast, finding higher levels of microplastics and associated heavy metals in more urbanized areas. The results suggest potential health risks for people consuming seafood from contaminated coastal areas.

RePEc: Research Papers in Economics