Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Occurrence and characterization of microplastic content in the digestive system of riverine fishes

Researchers found microplastics in 93.8% of riverine fish examined, with polystyrene, polyethylene, and nylon being the most common polymer types concentrated near urban and industrial areas, and small particles (0.025-1 mm) predominating across species.

2021 Journal of Environmental Management 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in freshwater fishes in the South of Italy: Characterization, distribution, and correlation with environmental pollutants

Researchers investigated the presence, abundance, and polymer composition of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of freshwater fish from rivers in southern Italy, and evaluated correlations between microplastic ingestion and environmental pollutant levels. They found microplastics in multiple fish species, with fiber morphologies predominating, and identified associations between microplastic burden and co-occurring chemical contaminants in the sampled environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 19 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of exposure and physiology on microplastic ingestion by the freshwater fish Rutilus rutilus (roach) in the River Thames, UK

Researchers examined microplastic ingestion by roach in the River Thames and found synthetic particles in fish from six of seven sampling sites, with ingestion rates linked to local microplastic exposure levels and fish feeding behavior. The study suggests that both environmental concentration and physiological factors like gut morphology and diet influence how much microplastic freshwater fish consume.

2018 Environmental Pollution 265 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in freshwater fish from Central European lowland river (Widawa R., SW Poland)

More than half of gudgeon and roach fish collected from a small Polish river had ingested microplastic-like particles, with no significant difference by sex, feeding behavior, or location relative to a dam. The findings suggest microplastic ingestion by freshwater fish is widespread and not driven by a single local source.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Eco Toxicological Assessment of Micro Plastic Ingestion in Freshwater Fishes: A Case Study on Bioaccumulation and Histopathological Alterations

Researchers assessed microplastic accumulation in three freshwater fish species (tilapia, rohu, catla) from a major river system, finding microplastics in gastrointestinal tracts and associated histopathological damage in gills, liver, and kidneys.

2025 Asian Journal of Research in Zoology
Article Tier 2

The first observation of the presence of microplastics in wild common bleak (Alburnus alburnus L.) and standardization of extraction protocols

Researchers studied microplastic contamination in the digestive tracts, muscle tissue, and whole bodies of common bleak fish from a Serbian reservoir, comparing different extraction protocols. The study provides first evidence of microplastics in this species while also developing cost-effective extraction methods.

2022 Kragujevac Journal of Science 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in perch (Perca fluviatilis, Linnaeus 1758) from Italian south-alpine lakes

Researchers examined microplastic ingestion in European perch (Perca fluviatilis) from four Italian alpine lakes, finding MPs in the gastrointestinal tracts of all sampled fish with fibers as the dominant type and higher ingestion rates in fish from more urbanized lake catchments.

2021 Environmental Pollution 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplasts in Freshwater Fish – Problems and Challenges

This review examines microplastic contamination of freshwater fish, covering ingestion evidence from over 150 species, the mechanisms of accumulation in gastrointestinal and other tissues, potential health impacts, and challenges in standardizing quantification methodologies.

2025 Journal Scientific and Applied Research
Article Tier 2

Microplastic characterization in small freshwater fishes collected in Gyeongan-cheon, a tributary stream of Han River in South Korea: Ingestion and depuration study of Nylon

Researchers characterized microplastic distribution in freshwater fishes from Gyeongan-cheon, a Han River tributary in South Korea, finding 34-284 particles per individual with fibers and fragments predominating, and conducted nylon ingestion and depuration experiments to assess clearance rates.

2024 Environmental Pollution 1 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

Microplastic ingestion in invasive mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki): a nationwide survey from Türkiye

Researchers conducted a nationwide survey of microplastic ingestion in 621 invasive mosquitofish across 24 freshwater sites in Turkey. They found that fibers were the dominant particle shape at 66%, with PET and polyethylene being the most common polymer types, and that fish from sites with higher anthropogenic pressure contained more microplastics. The study provides large-scale evidence that freshwater fish widely ingest microplastics, with contamination levels reflecting local human activity.

2026 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Identification of the composition and abundance of microplastics in the digestive tract of fish in the Banjaran River, Banyumas District

Researchers identified and quantified microplastic composition and abundance in digestive tract contents of wild-caught fish from a coastal fishery, documenting ingestion rates, polymer types, and particle morphologies across multiple commercially important species.

2025 Acta Aquatica Aquatic Sciences Journal
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and Impacts of Microplastics in Freshwater Fish

This review summarizes research on microplastic occurrence in freshwater fish across multiple regions, examining ingestion rates, polymer types, and potential health effects. The authors highlight that freshwater fish are widely exposed to microplastics and call for more standardized monitoring to assess risks to fish and to people who eat them.

2017 Journal of Aquaculture & Marine Biology 63 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

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

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

First biomonitoring of microplastic pollution in the Vaal river using Carp fish (Cyprinus carpio) “as a bio-indicator”

Researchers assessed microplastic ingestion by common carp in the Vaal River, South Africa, detecting 682 particles across 26 fish at an average of 26 particles per fish. Fibers dominated (69%) and were mostly colored, with five polymer types identified by Raman spectroscopy, providing the first record of microplastic uptake by freshwater biota in the Vaal River.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in freshwater fishes: Occurrence, impacts and future perspectives

This review synthesizes current knowledge about microplastic contamination in freshwater fish, which serve as important indicators of plastic pollution in rivers and lakes. Researchers found that microplastic ingestion patterns in fish are related to body size, feeding habits, and local urbanization levels, with controlled studies showing various effects on fish physiology and behavior. While fish can typically expel most microplastics quickly, certain particle shapes and sizes may remain in the body or cross into other organs through the intestinal wall.

2021 Fish and Fisheries 149 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in freshwater fish: first insights from the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom Province, Thailand

Researchers found microplastics in 100% of 89 fish gastrointestinal tracts sampled from the Mekong River in Thailand, averaging 23.76 items per individual, with fragments being the dominant shape (83%), particles under 100 µm the most common size, and 17 polymer types identified across species.

2025 Ecologica Montenegrina
Article Tier 2

Pervasive Microplastic Ingestion by Commercial Fish Species from a Natural Lagoon Environment

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in the gastrointestinal tracts and gills of commercial fish species from a natural lagoon environment. Microplastics were found across all species examined, with fiber morphotypes dominant and contamination levels reflecting the lagoon's proximity to human activity and plastic pollution sources.

2024 Water 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance, characteristics, and risk assessment of microplastics in indigenous freshwater fishes of India

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in five widely consumed freshwater fish species from India and found plastic particles in all specimens, with fibers being the most dominant type. Evidence of microplastics in edible fish tissue indicates translocation from the gut, suggesting a pathway for human exposure through consumption. Risk assessment showed that while microplastic abundance posed a low quantitative risk, the polymer types identified indicated a high hazard potential for the fish species studied.

2022 Environmental Research 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization and enumeration of microplastic pollution in three fish species of the Upper Mississippi River

Researchers found 891 microplastic particles across 281 fish from three species in the Upper Mississippi River, with fibers being the most common type and smaller fish containing proportionally more microplastics than larger ones. This confirms microplastic ingestion is widespread in freshwater fish — not just marine species — and the presence of styrene-isoprene, polyester, and ABS polymers highlights the diverse plastic sources contaminating major river systems.

2023 Minds at UW (University of Wisconsin)
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
Article Tier 2

A systematic study of the microplastic burden in freshwater fishes of south-western Germany - Are we searching at the right scale?

A comprehensive survey of 1,167 freshwater fish from 22 species across 11 rivers and 6 lakes in southwestern Germany found an apparent microplastic prevalence of 18.8%, but particle size analysis revealed that over 95% of particles were likely smaller than the 40 μm detection limit, suggesting true prevalence may reach 100% with an average of ~23 particles per fish. The findings challenge the validity of most existing microplastic surveys in fish, which miss the smallest and most abundant fraction.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 127 citations