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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Do Larger Microplastics Biomagnify in the Digestive Tracts of Coastal Marine Animals?
ClearLarge size (>100‐μm) microplastics are not biomagnifying in coastal marine food webs of British Columbia, Canada
Researchers quantified microplastic uptake across multiple trophic levels in a coastal British Columbia food web including bivalves, crabs, echinoderms, and fish, finding no evidence of biomagnification for particles larger than 100 micrometers. Suspension feeders and small planktivorous fish had the highest ingestion rates, and rapid excretion appeared to prevent accumulation in higher predators.
Toward an Improved Understanding of the Ingestion and Trophic Transfer of Microplastic Particles: Critical Review and Implications for Future Research
A comprehensive review of over 800 species found that while microplastics are routinely found in the digestive tracts of aquatic organisms, they do not appear to bioaccumulate or biomagnify through food webs, with over 99% of observations locating particles in the gastrointestinal tract rather than tissues. The review calls for more standardized sampling and reporting to enable better temporal and spatial trend analysis.
The bio–accumulation and –magnification of microplastics under predator–prey isotopic relationships
Using stable isotope analysis to trace feeding relationships, researchers found that microplastics biomagnify (increase in concentration) as they move up the food chain in two commercially important fish species from coastal China. Microplastics smaller than 3 millimeters showed the strongest biomagnification effect. The study suggests that people who eat fish from contaminated waters may be consuming higher concentrations of microplastics than what exists in the surrounding environment.
Application of marine organisms at multi-trophic level to study the integrated biological responses induced by microplastics through food-chain
Researchers used marine organisms across multiple trophic levels to study how microplastics move and accumulate through the food chain, finding that toxicological effects intensify at higher trophic levels due to bioaccumulation of plastic particles and associated chemical pollutants.
Assessment of microplastic bioconcentration, bioaccumulation and biomagnification in a simple coral reef food web
Researchers assessed microplastic bioconcentration, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification across three trophic levels in a coral reef food web, including zooplankton, benthic crustaceans, and reef fish. The study suggests that microplastics accumulate differently depending on species and trophic position, providing important baseline data for understanding ecological risks of microplastic contamination in coral reef ecosystems.
Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of microplastics in marine organisms: A review and meta-analysis of current data
This meta-analysis reviews current evidence on whether microplastics accumulate and concentrate as they move up the marine food chain. The findings have direct implications for seafood safety, since biomagnification would mean that larger predatory fish consumed by humans could contain higher concentrations of microplastics and their associated chemical additives.
Microplastic accumulation in marine organisms across trophic levels along the west coast of India
This study compared microplastic accumulation across trophic levels — including invertebrates, small fish, and large fish — at two locations along the west coast of a marine region. MP abundance decreased with increasing trophic level, suggesting dilution rather than biomagnification, but species at higher trophic positions still carried measurable contamination.
Stable Isotope Insights into Microplastic Contamination within Freshwater Food Webs
Stable isotope analysis was used to explore the relationship between trophic position and microplastic ingestion in freshwater macroinvertebrates and fish. The study found that trophic niche influenced microplastic accumulation patterns, with particles ranging from 700 micrometers to 5 mm quantified across taxa in the freshwater food web.
Describing the Accumulation, Concentration, and Amplification Effects of MPs Through the Food Chain
This review examines evidence for microplastic accumulation, concentration, and amplification through food chains from primary producers to predators. The authors discuss the degree to which trophic transfer leads to biomagnification of plastic particles and co-adsorbed chemical contaminants, with implications for wildlife and human dietary exposure.
Tracing the route: Using stable isotope analysis to understand microplastic pathways through the pelagic-neritic food web of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Western Mediterranean)
Stable isotope analysis of three pelagic fish species in the Tyrrhenian Sea found no significant effect of trophic position on microplastic ingestion frequency, but species at higher trophic levels ingested a greater diversity of microplastic types including larger particles.
Measuring the Effect of Dietary Microplastic on Biomagnification Potential of Environmental Contaminants and Plastic Additives
Researchers measured the effect of dietary microplastic ingestion on the biomagnification potential of hydrophobic organic contaminants and plastic additives in the gastrointestinal tract, testing competing hypotheses about whether microplastics increase, decrease, or negligibly affect contaminant uptake.
Little evidence for bioaccumulation or biomagnification of microplastics in a deep-sea food web
Researchers examined microplastic contamination in both gastrointestinal tracts and non-GI tissues of six marine species across multiple trophic levels sampled in a deep-sea food web in Monterey Bay, California, including tuna crab, market squid, northern lampfish, chub mackerel, California halibut, and Chinook salmon. After chemical digestion, they found little evidence for bioaccumulation or biomagnification of microplastics in tissues outside the gastrointestinal tract.
Bioaccumulation, biomagnification and ecological risk evaluation of microplastics in Sanggou Bay, China
Researchers studied microplastic contamination in marine organisms across Sanggou Bay, China, and found plastic particles in every species examined, with concentrations varying by organism. They discovered evidence of biomagnification, meaning microplastics accumulated to higher concentrations up the food chain, with smaller particles, fibers, and polystyrene showing the strongest transfer between species. The study provides new evidence that the physical characteristics of microplastics influence how they move through marine food webs.
Ingestion of microplastics in commercially important species along Thoothukudi coast, south east India
Researchers found microplastics in the guts of 12 commercially important marine species along India's Thoothukudi coast, with herbivores showing the highest ingestion rates and evidence of biomagnification across trophic levels, suggesting feeding habits — not habitat or body size — drive microplastic accumulation.
Effect of alternative natural diet on microplastic ingestion, functional responses and trophic transfer in a tri-trophic coastal pelagic food web
Researchers studied how microplastics move through a three-level marine food chain, from zooplankton prey to planktivorous fish, and how the availability of natural food affects microplastic ingestion. When natural food was scarce, organisms consumed more microplastics, and the particles transferred efficiently up the food chain. This study demonstrates that microplastics in the ocean can accumulate through the food web and reach fish species that humans commonly eat.
Gathering at the top? Environmental controls of microplastic uptake and biomagnification in freshwater food webs
This review examines the uptake and potential biomagnification of microplastics through freshwater food webs, from primary producers to top predators. Researchers found that while microplastics accumulate in organisms at multiple levels of the food chain, evidence for true biomagnification remains limited and inconsistent. The study identifies key environmental and physical factors that control microplastic exposure pathways and calls for more standardized field studies to resolve whether microplastics concentrate up the food chain.
Microplastic in freshwater ecosystem: bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, and biomagnification
This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic bioaccumulation and trophic transfer in freshwater ecosystems, finding that while ingestion by freshwater organisms is well-documented, biomagnification through food chains remains poorly understood and requires further investigation.
Impact of Microplastic Ingestion on Commercial Fish: A Trophic-Level Analysis
Researchers analyzed over 1,600 fish from two Colombian estuaries and found a significant link between a fish species' position in the food chain and the amount of microplastics it ingests. Fish that feed at higher levels of the food web accumulated more microplastics, and those that had ingested plastics showed signs of poorer body condition. The findings highlight how microplastics build up through the marine food chain, with potential consequences for both ecosystem and human health.
Microplastic accumulation and biomagnification in a coastal marine reserve situated in a sparsely populated area
Microplastics were quantified across a benthic food web at a remote California marine reserve, finding concentrations of 36.59 plastics/L in seawater, and with densities increasing from macroalgae to herbivorous snails to predatory invertebrates, suggesting biomagnification potential in coastal food webs. The study provides rare evidence of microplastic concentration increases across trophic levels in a near-pristine coastal ecosystem.
Observing the Effects of Marine Debris Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification
This study examines how marine debris, particularly microplastics and heavy metals, bioaccumulates and biomagnifies through marine food webs, with organisms ingesting microplastics as they move through ocean currents. The review considers the ecological consequences of microplastic ingestion across trophic levels and the implications for food chain safety as humans sit at the top of the marine food web.