Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Occurrence and physical characterization of microplastics in mangrove-dwelling Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) of entotourism importance

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in mangrove-dwelling fireflies in Malaysia, finding microplastics in 50% of larvae and 14.8% of adults, representing one of the first studies of microplastic occurrence in this ecologically and culturally important insect group.

2025 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in edible aquatic insect Pantala sp. (Odonata: Libellulidae) from rice fields

Researchers detected microplastics in edible dragonfly larvae collected from rice fields, finding an average of 1.34 particles per individual with fragments being the most common type, raising concerns about microplastic transfer through insect-based food chains.

2022 PeerJ 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Aquatic insects as mediator for microplastics pollution in a river ecosystem of Bangladesh

Researchers found that aquatic insects in a Malaysian river ecosystem ingest microplastics and can transport them across ecosystem boundaries as the insects emerge from water to land, functioning as biological vectors that move plastic contamination from aquatic to terrestrial food webs.

2025 Scientific Reports 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics of different characteristics are incorporated into the larval cases of the freshwater caddisfly Lepidostoma basale

Researchers found that the freshwater caddisfly larva Lepidostoma basale actively incorporated microplastics of various sizes, shapes, and polymer types into its larval case alongside natural materials, representing a novel pathway of microplastic interaction beyond dietary ingestion in aquatic insects.

2019 Aquatic Biology 74 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of land‐use change on semi‐aquatic bugs (Gerromorpha, Hemiptera) in rainforest streams in Sabah, Malaysia

Not relevant to microplastics — this ecological study investigates how logging and conversion to oil palm plantation affects the abundance and diversity of semi-aquatic insects in streams in Sabah, Malaysia.

2024 Freshwater Biology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Freshwater insects of different feeding guilds ingest microplastics in two Gulf of Guinea tributaries in Nigeria

Scientists collected freshwater insects from two Nigerian tributaries of the Gulf of Guinea and found microplastics ingested across different feeding guilds, providing rare baseline data on microplastic contamination of African freshwater ecosystems.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 111 citations
Article Tier 2

Diversity of caddisflies (Trichoptera), water quality factors, and microplastics in a northern Thai stream

Caddisfly (Trichoptera) diversity was examined in relation to water quality and microplastic presence, finding that plastic contamination correlates with shifts in caddisfly community composition. Because caddisflies are widely used as bioindicators of water quality, plastic pollution may compromise standard bioassessment methods.

2025 Ecologica Montenegrina 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of anthropogenic activities on microplastics in deposit-feeders (Diptera: Chironomidae) in an urban river of Taiwan

Researchers quantified microplastic abundance and types in midge larvae (Chironomidae) from an urban river and found that multiple anthropogenic activities including industrial discharge, agriculture, and residential runoff were associated with elevated microplastic levels in these freshwater deposit-feeders.

2021 Scientific Reports 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence of Microplastics in Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera of North Cascades National Park

Researchers found microplastics in mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies sampled from streams in North Cascades National Park, Washington State. The results suggest that glacial meltwater may be transporting microplastics into pristine protected wilderness streams, with these insects potentially serving as vectors that move plastic particles up the food web to birds and fish.

2020 Western CEDAR (Western Washington University)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic bioaccumulation in odonata larvae: Integrating evidence from experimental studies in freshwater microcosm

Researchers conducted laboratory experiments simulating bromeliad-tank ecosystems to study how microplastics accumulate and transfer through freshwater food webs. They found that prey-mediated exposure led to significantly greater microplastic accumulation in predatory dragonfly larvae than direct waterborne contact. The study provides experimental evidence that microplastics can bioaccumulate and transfer up the food chain in freshwater invertebrate communities.

2025 Chemosphere 1 citations
Article Tier 2

High Density of Microplastics in the Caddisfly Larvae Cases

High densities of microplastics were found embedded in the cases (shelters built from environmental debris) of caddisfly larvae, with plastics replacing natural materials like sand grains and plant fragments. This documents how widespread microplastic contamination has become in freshwater insect habitats and raises concerns about its effects on larval development.

2025 Environments 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary indoor evidences of microplastic effects on freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates

Researchers exposed caddisfly and mayfly larvae to various microplastic polymers in laboratory experiments and found that caddisflies incorporated microplastics into their rebuilt cases and mayflies preferentially burrowed in microplastic substrates over natural ones. The study suggests that freshwater macroinvertebrates may not perceive microplastics as a direct threat, raising concerns about chronic exposure effects in heavily contaminated waterways.

2021 Scientific Reports 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of Microplastic in Egypt Wastewater Using Aquatic Insects as Bioindicators

Researchers used aquatic insect larvae as bioindicators to assess microplastic distribution in Egyptian wastewater systems influenced by industrial and human activity. Insects from high-pollution sites accumulated significantly more microplastics, confirming their utility as cost-effective biological indicators for tracking microplastic contamination in freshwater systems.

2024
Article Tier 2

The Invisible Threat: A Review of Microplastics in Freshwater Systems, Including Their Presence in Water, Sediment, and Aquatic Insects

This review examines the sources, spatial distributions, and ecological effects of microplastics in freshwater systems — including water, sediments, and aquatic insects — synthesizing evidence on their pervasive contamination and biological impacts across freshwater environments globally.

2025 Annals of Environmental Science and Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in water, sediments and macroinvertebrates in a small river of NW Spain

Researchers found microplastics in water, sediment, and aquatic invertebrate species throughout a small urban river in northwest Spain, including inside the body cases of caddisfly larvae. The study confirms that microplastic contamination reaches even the headwaters of urban rivers and enters freshwater invertebrates, with potential to move up the food chain.

2023 Limnetica 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Caddisfly Larvae are a Driver of Plastic Litter Breakdown and Microplastic Formation in Freshwater Environments

Researchers found that freshwater caddisfly larvae actively incorporate polylactic acid plastic film into their protective cases and rapidly fragment it into hundreds of microplastic particles, representing a previously unrecognized biological mechanism of microplastic formation in freshwater ecosystems.

2022 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Using aquatic insects as indicators of microplastic pollution in rice field ecosystems

Researchers used aquatic insect communities as bioindicators of microplastic pollution in rice field ecosystems, comparing insect diversity and abundance across fields with different levels of plastic contamination. Insect assemblages responded sensitively to microplastic loads, demonstrating their potential as low-cost monitoring tools.

2024 Ecologica Montenegrina 4 citations
Article Tier 2

First Evidence of Microplastic Ingestion by Riverine Fish From the Freshwater of Northwest Peninsular Malaysia

Researchers found microplastics in the guts of multiple fish species from two rivers in northwest Malaysia, with some species averaging nearly 50 microplastic particles per gram of body weight. The dominant particles were fibers and fragments of polyethylene and polypropylene — findings that signal widespread contamination of freshwater food sources and raise concerns about human exposure through fish consumption.

2024 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding the microplastic pollution impact on Chironomus sancticaroli larvae development and emergence

Researchers studied how PET microplastics affect the development and emergence of Chironomus midge larvae, an important freshwater insect. They found that microplastic exposure altered larval development and reduced successful adult emergence. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems could disrupt the life cycles of aquatic insects, which are vital to food webs and ecosystem health.

2024 Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of microplastic in various freshwater fish species from agriculture fishpond in Tanjong Karang, Selangor

Researchers found microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of 29.25% of freshwater fish from an aquaculture fishpond in Tanjong Karang, Malaysia — a higher rate than previously reported in the region — with variation across species linked to feeding zone differences.

2023 UiTM Institutional Repositories (Universiti Teknologi MARA)