Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Ecological traits do not predict the uptake of microplastics by fishes in a Neotropical River

Researchers found that nearly half (49%) of 101 fish examined from a Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest river contained microplastics in their organs, with PET fibers being predominant and blue fibers accounting for 91% of all particles. Importantly, neither trophic level, feeding strategy, nor habitat predicted which fish were most contaminated — individual size and species-specific traits were better predictors. Since 55% of the analyzed species are consumed by humans, the study raises direct concerns about microplastic transfer through the food chain to people.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2 citations
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

Microplastics in fishes in amazon riverine beaches: Influence of feeding mode and distance to urban settlements

Researchers found microplastics in the digestive tracts of 29 fish species from Amazon riverine beaches, with contamination levels influenced by fish feeding mode and distance to urban settlements within a protected area.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Considering ecological traits of fishes to understand microplastic ingestion across Pacific coastal fisheries

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in coastal fish across four Pacific Island nations (Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) using standardized methods. By analyzing 878 fish across multiple species, they found that ecological traits such as feeding behavior and habitat use influenced microplastic ingestion patterns, providing important context for understanding contamination risks in Pacific coastal fisheries.

2026 PLoS ONE
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

Widespread microplastic ingestion by fish assemblages in tropical estuaries subjected to anthropogenic pressures

A survey of 2,233 fish from 69 species across two tropical Brazilian estuaries found microplastics in 9% of individuals, with ingestion rates linked to feeding guild, habitat use, and proximity to urban areas. The study demonstrates that microplastic ingestion is widespread even in tropical systems and is shaped by ecology rather than occurring at random.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 302 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

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

Food ecology and presence of microplastic in the stomach content of neotropical fish in an urban river of the upper Paraná River Basin

Microplastics were found in the stomachs of multiple fish species in an urban Brazilian river, with ingestion rates linked to each species' feeding ecology. The findings confirm that microplastics have entered the freshwater food chain, raising concern about contamination reaching people who eat these fish.

2020 Ambiente e Agua - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Science 18 citations
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

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
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of microplastic prevalence and abundance in freshwater fish species: the effect of fish species habitat, feeding behavior, and Fulton’s condition factor

A meta-analysis of freshwater fish across 42 studies found an average of 2.35 microplastic items per individual, with 80% of research focused on the gastrointestinal tract and 58% on river environments. Contrary to expectations, microplastic ingestion correlated with fish body physiology (size and weight) rather than feeding behavior or habitat, suggesting physical characteristics determine uptake more than ecological niche.

2024 Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Avaliando a poluição plástica em ecossistemas brasileiros: um estudo integrado da poluição em organismos e ambientes.

Researchers examined plastic ingestion by freshwater fish across 23 species in the Upper Parana River floodplain in Brazil, finding that nine species ingested plastics and that seasonality significantly influenced ingestion rates, with the highest levels recorded during dry season. The study also synthesized trends and gaps in Brazilian plastic pollution research, linking plastic contamination patterns to fishing activities, domestic waste, and anthropogenic pressures in aquatic ecosystems.

2024 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

First evidence of microplastic ingestion by fishes from the Amazon River estuary

Researchers documented the first evidence of microplastic ingestion by fish in the Amazon River estuary, finding plastic particles — predominantly polyamide and polyethylene pellets — in 30% of 189 specimens across 14 species, with larger fish containing more particles, indicating widespread contamination extending into one of the world's most biodiverse river systems.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 317 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of trophic overlaps and trophic niche amplitude on microplastic intake of fish species in shallow areas of a neotropical coastal lagoon

Researchers analyzed microplastic ingestion in six fish species from a coastal lagoon in Brazil and found that species sharing the same food sources tended to ingest similar amounts of microplastic fibers. Blue polyester fibers smaller than 0.05 mm were the most common type found, likely from textile pollution. Since fish dietary habits determine their microplastic intake, this affects which fish species accumulate more plastic particles and what ultimately ends up on people's plates.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 17 citations
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

Does the trophic guild influence microplastic ingestion in nursery areas? A case study on a southwestern Atlantic mangrove-dominated estuary

Researchers analyzed microplastic ingestion in ten fish species from a mangrove-dominated estuary in Brazil's Tropical Atlantic, finding plastics in 61% of 145 specimens. Zooplanktivorous species ingested the most (averaging 2.33 MPs per individual), with polystyrene and polypropylene dominating.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Methods to characterize microplastics: case study on freshwater fishes from a tropical lagoon in Colombia

Fish from Colombia's Luruaco Lagoon contained microplastics with prevalence, abundance, and polymer characteristics analyzed across four sampling events, with principal component analysis linking MP types to feeding ecology and habitat use of the different species.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Methods to characterize Microplastics: Case study on freshwater fishes from a tropical lagoon in Colombia

Researchers examined microplastic prevalence, abundance, and physical and chemical characteristics in fish from Luruaco lagoon, Colombia, conducting four sampling events using trawl nets and analyzing gastrointestinal tracts of captured individuals to characterize microplastic ingestion across species.

2024
Article Tier 2

Do different habits affect microplastics contents in organisms? A trait-based analysis on salt marsh species

Scientists measured microplastic occurrence in six benthic invertebrate species from salt marshes in northern Italy and the Netherlands, finding that species feeding habits, body size, and habitat use were better predictors of microplastic contamination than sampling location alone.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Factors affecting microplastic accumulation by wild fish: A case study in the Nandu River, South China

Researchers examined microplastic accumulation in 179 wild fish across 27 species in the Nandu River in southern China, finding microplastics in over 90% of fish sampled. Surprisingly, factors like fish size, feeding habits, and habitat did not significantly affect how much microplastic fish accumulated, suggesting that intake may be largely random. The study highlights that smaller fish face proportionally higher microplastic exposure relative to their body weight and may be more vulnerable to harmful effects.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 86 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

Differential Presence of Microplastics and Mesoplastics in Coral Reef and Mangrove Fishes in Isla Grande, Colombia

Researchers found that fish from mangrove ecosystems in the Colombian Caribbean contained higher levels of microplastics and mesoplastics than fish from coral reef environments, suggesting that habitat type significantly influences plastic ingestion rates in marine fish species.

2022 Microplastics 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Risk assessment of microplastics in fish assemblage based on ecological preferences in an interconnected and polluted river system

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination across 15 fish species with different feeding habits in Pakistan's River Ravi, finding that bottom-dwelling and omnivorous fish accumulated more microplastics, with contamination levels posing ecological risk.

2023 Human and Ecological Risk Assessment An International Journal 10 citations