Papers

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Article Tier 2

Absence of microplastic bioaccumulation in cod fillets from plastic-polluted western Norwegian waters

Researchers examined cod fillets from a known plastic-polluted area in Western Norway to determine whether microplastics accumulate in fish muscle tissue over time. While some particles were found in fillets, the concentrations were very low and showed no correlation with fish age, meaning there was no evidence of bioaccumulation. The study suggests that while microplastics are present in the marine food chain, they may not concentrate in fish fillets at levels proportional to environmental exposure.

2024 Water Emerging Contaminants & Nanoplastics 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic ingestion by Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ) from the Norwegian coast

Researchers examined 302 Atlantic cod stomachs from six locations along the Norwegian coast and found plastic in 3% overall, but with a hotspot in Bergen City Harbour where 27% of cod contained plastic, and polyester as the most common polymer, suggesting that local urban contamination strongly influences fish exposure.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 193 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic in digestive tracts and gills of cod and herring from the Baltic Sea

Researchers found plastic particles in the digestive tracts and gills of Baltic Sea cod and herring, with ingestion rates and particle types differing between the two species, indicating widespread exposure of commercially important fish to plastic pollution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Low plastic ingestion rate in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) from Newfoundland destined for human consumption collected through citizen science methods

Researchers examined Atlantic cod from Newfoundland and found a low rate of plastic ingestion compared to studies of other species and regions, suggesting that plastic ingestion rates vary substantially by species, habitat, and local pollution levels.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 103 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic ingestion by juvenile polar cod (Boreogadus saida) in the Arctic Ocean

Researchers examined the gastrointestinal contents of juvenile polar cod caught in the Arctic Ocean and found plastic fragments, demonstrating that even juvenile fish in remote Arctic waters are ingesting microplastics.

2018 Polar Biology 124 citations
Article Tier 2

PCB-126 spiked to polyethylene microplastic ingested by juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) accumulates in liver and muscle tissues

Researchers found that PCB-126 spiked onto polyethylene microplastics accumulated in the liver and muscle tissues of juvenile Atlantic cod, while even virgin microplastics impaired skin barrier function, suggesting gut-mediated effects on fish health.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of chemical elements and occurrence of microplastics in small pelagic fish from a neritic environment

Researchers examined chemical element accumulation and microplastic occurrence in small pelagic fish from coastal waters, contributing baseline data on contaminant exposure in mid-trophic level species that are often overlooked in pollution assessments.

2021 Environmental Pollution 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Eutrophication Exacerbates Microplastic Bioaccumulation Risks in Coastal Fish

Using field and laboratory data, researchers showed that eutrophication in coastal environments exacerbates microplastic bioaccumulation risks in fish by increasing algal blooms that aggregate MP particles and enhance trophic transfer through the food web.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the bioaccumulation of microplastics in commercially important fish species

Researchers assessed microplastic accumulation in commercially important fish species from coastal and offshore waters, finding significant differences between species based on feeding strategies and habitat depth. Filter feeders and omnivorous species accumulated more microplastics than others, reflecting diet-based differences across trophic levels. The study raises concerns about human dietary exposure to microplastics through widely consumed seafood products.

2025 International Journal of Aquatic Research and Environmental Studies 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Low incidence of plastic ingestion among three fish species significant for human consumption on the island of Newfoundland, Canada

This study reported the first baselines of plastic ingestion in Atlantic cod, Atlantic salmon, and capelin from Newfoundland, Canada, finding a low but nonzero frequency of plastic ingestion in these commercially important fish. The data provides a starting point for tracking future changes in microplastic exposure in North Atlantic food fish.

2018 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics from Feed in Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua)

This thesis exposed Atlantic cod to five different microplastic types and sizes over 21 days and examined sublethal effects. Results provide evidence that ingested microplastics cause measurable biological harm in cod — an economically important fish species — even at exposures that do not immediately kill the fish.

2020 Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo)
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

Effects of changing environmental conditions on plastic ingestion and feeding ecology of a benthopelagic fish (Gadus morhua) in the Southwest Baltic Sea

Atlantic cod in the Southwest Baltic Sea were found to contain microplastics, with ingestion rates varying between years of differing ocean oxygen levels. In years with low oxygen conditions following major Baltic inflows, changes in fish diet corresponded to altered microplastic ingestion patterns. The study shows that environmental conditions indirectly influence microplastic exposure in fish through changes in feeding behavior.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic ingestion by pelagic and demersal fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea

Researchers examined gastrointestinal tracts of 290 North and Baltic Sea fish and detected plastic in 5.5% of individuals, with pelagic species like herring and mackerel ingesting plastic at three times the rate of bottom-dwelling cod and flounder, and polyethylene making up nearly 40% of identified polymer types.

2015 Marine Pollution Bulletin 618 citations
Article Tier 2

Low plastic ingestion rate in Atlantic Cod ( Gadus morhua ) from Newfoundland destined for human consumption collected through citizen science methods

This citizen science study sampled 205 Atlantic cod destined for human consumption in Newfoundland and found that only 5 (2.4 percent) had eaten plastic — a lower ingestion rate than reported for many other fish species. The authors discuss whether cod feeding behavior or the sampling context explains this low rate and note implications for human dietary exposure.

2016 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic accumulation, depuration dynamics and localization in environmental compartments: combination of experimental set ups and field studies

Researchers used microcosm experiments to track microplastic accumulation, depuration, and tissue localization in marine organisms under environmentally relevant conditions. The study found that organisms can accumulate and partially depurate microplastics, with particle retention varying by tissue type and particle size.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

The significance of trophic transfer of microplastics in the accumulation of plastic additives in fish: An experimental study using brominated flame retardants and UV stabilizers

Researchers found that trophic transfer through food is a more significant route than direct water exposure for fish accumulation of plastic-derived chemicals, including brominated flame retardants and UV stabilizers associated with microplastics.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Intake, Its Biotic Drivers, and Hydrophobic Organic Contaminant Levels in the Baltic Herring

Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion and hydrophobic organic contaminant levels in Baltic herring along the Swedish west coast, finding microplastics in 22.3% of fish with large geographic variability, though no significant correlation was found between microplastic burden and contaminant concentrations in muscle tissue.

2019 Frontiers in Environmental Science 23 citations
Article Tier 2

The influences of spatial-temporal variability and ecological drivers on microplastic in marine fish in Hong Kong

Researchers found that over 57% of marine fish in Hong Kong waters contained microplastics, with higher abundance in fish from more polluted western waters during the wet season, and that omnivorous fish ingested significantly more microplastics than carnivorous fish regardless of collection location or season.

2023 Environmental Pollution 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulation of chemical pollutants from environmental microplastics in European sea bass

Researchers designed a feeding experiment to determine whether chemical contaminants from environmental microplastics undergo trophic transfer to the liver of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), testing two feeding treatments with realistic microplastic concentrations to evaluate bioaccumulation risk.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

The pervasiveness of microplastic contamination in the gastrointestinal tract of fish from the western coast of Bangladesh

Researchers found microplastics in every individual fish examined from the western coast of Bangladesh, with an average of 7.1 particles per specimen, and demersal species accumulating more microplastics than pelagic species near the world's largest mangrove ecosystem.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 39 citations