Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics occurrence in edible fish species (Mullus barbatus and Merluccius merluccius) collected in three different geographical sub-areas of the Mediterranean Sea

Researchers examined the gastrointestinal tracts of 229 demersal fish from two Mediterranean species across three geographic sub-areas, finding microplastics in a significant portion of individuals with fibers as the dominant type. The study contributes to growing evidence that microplastic ingestion is widespread in commercially fished Mediterranean species.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 207 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

Abundance and ecological risk of microplastics in commercial fish species from northeastern Mediterranean Sea

Researchers examined nine commercially important fish species from the northeastern Mediterranean Sea and found microplastics in both their digestive tracts and gills. The most common particles were small polyethylene and polypropylene fibers, and bottom-dwelling fish species had higher contamination levels. While the ecological risk was rated low to medium, the presence of microplastics in widely consumed fish species highlights a potential pathway for human exposure through seafood.

2024 Environmental Pollution 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence in the gastrointestinal tract and gill of bioindicator fish species in the northeastern Mediterranean

Four commercial fish species from the northeastern Mediterranean were examined for microplastic presence in gastrointestinal tracts and gills, with plastics found in all species and fiber being the most common type. The results add to growing evidence that microplastic ingestion is routine for commercially harvested Mediterranean fish.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 73 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic Concentration in Mediterranean Commercial Fish: A Systematic Review

This systematic review examines microplastic levels in five commercially important fish species caught in Mediterranean waters. The findings confirm that microplastics are routinely present in popular seafood, with concentrations varying by species and location, underscoring the need to monitor and reduce plastic contamination in fish that millions of people eat regularly.

2025 Microplastics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of microplastics and occurrence of parasite association in Mediterranean anchovy and sardine

Scientists quantified microplastic ingestion in European sardines and anchovies from the Northwestern Mediterranean, finding 58–60% occurrence rates and noting that parasite infection was negatively associated with microplastic presence, suggesting shared ecological or physiological factors.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 91 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination from microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in the digestive tracts of the commercial species Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardina pilchardus

Researchers examined the presence of microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in the digestive tracts of European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus) sampled along the continental shelf of Spain, finding bioaccumulation of particles across these commercially important fish species with implications for food web contamination and human health.

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

Contamination from microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in the digestive tracts of the commercial species Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardina pilchardus

Researchers examined the presence of microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in the digestive tracts of European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus) sampled along the continental shelf of Spain, finding bioaccumulation of particles across these commercially important fish species with implications for food web contamination and human health.

2022
Article Tier 2

A Biomarker Approach as Responses of Bioindicator Commercial Fish Species to Microplastic Ingestion: Assessing Tissue and Biochemical Relationships

Researchers assessed microplastic intake and antioxidant biomarker responses in three Mediterranean fish species, finding that microplastic ingestion correlated with oxidative stress indicators across red mullet, bogue, and anchovy populations.

2022 Biology 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative analysis of microplastic pollution in commercially relevant seafood across different geographical regions

Researchers analyzed microplastic pollution in commercially important seafood species, characterizing particle morphology and polymer composition across species. The study found microplastics in all species sampled, with differences in contamination levels linked to feeding ecology and habitat.

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

Fish as a Bioindicator of Microplastic Contamination in the Mediterranean Sea: State of Knowledge

This review examines the use of fish species as bioindicators of microplastic contamination in the Mediterranean Sea. The analysis found that increasing microplastic pollution would further threaten already-stressed fishery stocks in the region. Researchers recommend prioritizing studies on the most consumed Mediterranean fish species, such as sardine, anchovy, and bluefin tuna, which have been reported to be highly contaminated by microplastics.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics assessment in Arabian Sea fishes: accumulation, characterization, and method development

Researchers assessed microplastic accumulation in Arabian Sea fish species, developing optimized digestion protocols and characterizing polymer types to trace contamination sources, finding widespread microplastic ingestion across multiple commercially important fish species.

2023 Brazilian Journal of Biology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in fillets of Mediterranean seafood. A risk assessment study

Researchers analyzed fillets of several common Mediterranean seafood species for microplastic contamination and estimated the associated human dietary exposure. They detected microplastics in the edible tissue of all species tested, including sardines, sea bream, and mussels. The study provides risk estimates suggesting that regular seafood consumption represents a notable pathway for human microplastic ingestion.

2021 Environmental Research 101 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination from microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in the digestive tracts of the commercial species Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardina pilchardus

Researchers examined microplastic and anthropogenic particle contamination in the digestive tracts of European anchovies and sardines from Spanish waters, finding widespread ingestion of synthetic particles in these commercially important fish species.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 25 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

Evolution of the Distribution and Dynamic of Microplastic in Water and Biota: A Study Case From the Gulf of Gabes (Southern Mediterranean Sea)

Researchers found microplastics in all surface water samples and in the digestive tracts of multiple commercially important marine species in the Gulf of Gabes, Southern Mediterranean, revealing widespread contamination in a previously understudied region.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 23 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Geographical and ecological factors affect microplastic body burden in marine fish at global scale

This systematic review analyzed microplastic levels found in marine fish worldwide and identified key factors driving contamination. Fish from areas with heavy human activity contained more microplastics, and since many of these species are eaten by people, this contamination represents a direct route of human exposure through seafood.

2024 Environmental Pollution 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioindicators for monitoring marine litter ingestion and its impacts on Mediterranean biodiversity

Researchers reviewed existing knowledge of marine litter ingestion impacts on Mediterranean biodiversity and proposed a new integrated monitoring framework using bioindicator species, identifying major knowledge gaps in understudied habitats and sub-regions while outlining a threefold approach to simultaneously measure plastic presence and its sub-lethal effects on organisms.

2017 Environmental Pollution 338 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

The assessment of the bioaccumulation of microplastics in key fish species from the Bulgarian aquatory of the Black Sea

Researchers examined five commercially important fish species from the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and found microplastics in all tissue types studied. The most common particles were polyethylene and PET pellets, with sizes ranging down to 25 micrometers, indicating widespread plastic pollution in this region that could affect both fish populations and the humans who eat them.

2024 BIORISK – Biodiversity and Ecosystem Risk Assessment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in commercial fish and their habitats in the important fishing ground of the Black Sea: Characteristic, concentration, and risk assessment

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in six commercial fish species from the Black Sea and found microplastics in all environmental areas studied, including surface water, the water column, sediments, and fish. Fibers were the most common type of microplastic found, and bottom-dwelling fish had higher contamination levels than fish living closer to the surface. Since these are commonly eaten fish species, the findings are relevant to human dietary exposure to microplastics.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of microplastics and natural fibres in Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) and Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758) along the Spanish Mediterranean coast

Microplastics and natural fibers were found in the digestive tracts of European sardines and anchovies collected from 14 stations along the Spanish Mediterranean coast, with microplastics present in about 15% of individuals. The study documents widespread but variable microplastic ingestion in two commercially important small pelagic fish species that are key components of Mediterranean food webs and human diets.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 263 citations
Article Tier 2

An evaluation of surface micro- and mesoplastic pollution in pelagic ecosystems of the Western Mediterranean Sea

Researchers found that micro- and mesoplastic debris were widely and uniformly distributed across the Western Mediterranean Sea, with average surface concentrations of approximately 130,000 microplastic particles per km2 and 5,700 mesoplastic particles per km2. Fragment morphology and polymer composition analysis indicated a predominantly land-based origin for the debris.

2015 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 173 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination from microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in the digestive tracts of the commercial species Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardina pilchardus

Researchers compiled a dataset of microplastics and anthropogenic particles found in the stomach contents of anchovy and sardines in the Gulf of Cadiz (Europe), recording particle characteristics alongside fish biometric data, geographic coordinates, and distances to major river mouths and coastal cities.

2022 DIGITAL.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council (CSIC))