Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Fish size influences microplastic occurrence in target organs

Researchers examined whether fish body size affects microplastic occurrence in target organs, moving beyond gut content analysis to assess systemic tissue contamination. Larger fish contained more microplastics in their organs than smaller fish, suggesting size-dependent differences in cumulative lifetime exposure.

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

Do feeding habits influence anthropogenic particle consumption in demersal fish in a tropical estuary? A study from the northern part of the Tropical Eastern Pacific

This study examined how feeding habits and trophic level influence microplastic ingestion in demersal fish from a tropical Mexican estuary, finding that feeding guild and trophic position both affected the type and quantity of anthropogenic particles consumed.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science
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

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

Comparison of Presence of Microplastics in Two Edible Fish Species from South India

Researchers compared microplastic contamination in two edible fish species from South India, finding differences in the abundance and types of microplastics between species that likely reflect differences in feeding habits and habitat use.

2025 Inland Water Biology
Article Tier 2

Differential Presence of Microplastics and Mesoplastics in Coral Reef and Mangrove Fishes in Isla Grande, Colombia

Researchers found that fish from mangrove ecosystems in the Colombian Caribbean contained higher levels of microplastics and mesoplastics than fish from coral reef environments, suggesting that habitat type significantly influences plastic ingestion rates in marine fish species.

2022 Microplastics 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Foraging preferences influence microplastic ingestion by six marine fish species from the Texas Gulf Coast

Researchers analyzed 1,381 fish from six Gulf Coast species and found microplastics — predominantly fibers — in 42% of individuals, with ingestion patterns reflecting the foraging ecology of each species. The results show that diet and habitat use strongly shape a fish's exposure to microplastic pollution.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 191 citations
Article Tier 2

Does the mouth size influence microplastic ingestion in fishes?

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in six tropical fish species with different mouth sizes from Saint Martin's Island in the Bay of Bengal. The study found that mouth size did influence microplastic ingestion rates, with larger-mouthed species generally accumulating more particles, suggesting that feeding morphology plays a role in microplastic uptake.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 44 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

Occurrence and amount of microplastic ingested by fishes in watersheds of the Gulf of Mexico

Researchers quantified microplastic ingestion by fishes across several freshwater and estuarine watersheds of the Gulf of Mexico. The study documented widespread microplastic occurrence in fish from these environments, contributing important data about freshwater contamination at a time when most research had focused on marine ecosystems.

2015 Marine Pollution Bulletin 307 citations
Article Tier 2

Is the feeding type related with the content of microplastics in intertidal fish gut?

Researchers compared microplastic ingestion across intertidal fish with different feeding strategies and found that feeding type influenced the amount of plastic found in stomachs. The study suggests that filter feeders and detritivores may ingest more microplastics than active predators, linking ecological role to plastic exposure risk.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 346 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic intake does not depend on fish eating habits: Identification of microplastics in the stomach contents of fish on an urban beach in Brazil

Researchers analyzed microplastic content in the stomachs of seven fish species from an urban beach in Brazil and found that trophic guild (carnivore, omnivore, herbivore) did not predict microplastic ingestion rates, suggesting that incidental ingestion during feeding is widespread regardless of diet type.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Widespread microplastic ingestion by fish assemblages in tropical estuaries subjected to anthropogenic pressures

A survey of 2,233 fish from 69 species across two tropical Brazilian estuaries found microplastics in 9% of individuals, with ingestion rates linked to feeding guild, habitat use, and proximity to urban areas. The study demonstrates that microplastic ingestion is widespread even in tropical systems and is shaped by ecology rather than occurring at random.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 302 citations
Article Tier 2

Fish size influences microplastic occurrence in target organs

Researchers tested whether fish body size predicts microplastic burden in organs beyond the gut, finding that larger fish accumulate more plastic in systemic tissues. The findings suggest that organ-level microplastic analysis provides a more complete picture of contamination than gut content surveys alone.

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

Plastic density as a key factor in the presence of microplastic in the gastrointestinal tract of commercial fishes from Campeche Bay, Mexico

Researchers found microplastics in 316 particles across 240 gastrointestinal tracts from six commercially consumed fish species in Campeche Bay, Mexico, with average ingestion of 1.31 MPs per fish, and found that fish feeding in mid-water column tended to ingest denser polymer types reflecting their depth distribution.

2020 Environmental Pollution 106 citations
Article Tier 2

Differences in microplastic abundances within demersal communities highlight the importance of an ecosystem-based approach to microplastic monitoring

This study found significant differences in microplastic abundance among different demersal (bottom-dwelling) fish communities, suggesting that habitat, feeding behavior, and species-specific traits influence how much plastic marine fish ingest. The findings underscore the complexity of predicting microplastic exposure across marine food webs.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of feeding biology and diet-associated microplastic contamination in selected creek fishes of northeastern Arabian Sea: A multi-species approach

Researchers studied the feeding biology and diet-associated microplastic contamination of selected fish species, finding that feeding habits directly influence the quantity and type of microplastics ingested. The results demonstrate that trophic position and prey preferences are key predictors of microplastic exposure in wild fish.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Does the trophic guild influence microplastic ingestion in nursery areas? A case study on a southwestern Atlantic mangrove-dominated estuary

Researchers analyzed microplastic ingestion in ten fish species from a mangrove-dominated estuary in Brazil's Tropical Atlantic, finding plastics in 61% of 145 specimens. Zooplanktivorous species ingested the most (averaging 2.33 MPs per individual), with polystyrene and polypropylene dominating.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Fish species, habitat, and capture location outweigh fish mass as drivers of microplastic pollution in Canadian Arctic fishes

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in 435 stomachs and gastrointestinal tracts of seven freshwater fish species from the Canadian Arctic. The study found that fish species, habitat type, and capture location were more important drivers of microplastic levels than fish size, with demersal species and those near larger human populations containing significantly more microplastics.

2026 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Microplastic loads within riverine fishes and macroinvertebrates are not predictable from ecological or morphological characteristics

Researchers measured microplastic loads in riverine fish and macroinvertebrates and found that particle counts were not reliably predicted by species ecology or morphology, suggesting that individual variation and local environmental factors play a larger role in microplastic ingestion than feeding guild or habitat alone.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 24 citations
Article Tier 2

First insight into plastics ingestion by fish in the Gulf of California, Mexico

Researchers found that 50% of 1,095 fish examined from 13 species in a tropical estuarine system in the Gulf of California had ingested plastic particles, with all recovered particles being threads and most being small microplastic fibres.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Size dependent ingestion and effects of microplastics on survivability, hematology and intestinal histopathology of juvenile striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus)

Juvenile striped catfish exposed to different sizes of polyamide microplastics showed that smaller particles caused more damage than larger ones. The smaller microplastics led to greater reductions in growth, more severe changes in blood chemistry, and worse intestinal tissue damage. This size-dependent toxicity is important because as plastics break down in the environment they produce smaller particles that appear to be more harmful to aquatic organisms in the food chain.

2024 Chemosphere 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Species-specific effect of microplastics on fish embryos and observation of toxicity kinetics in larvae

Researchers compared microplastic ingestion across three commercial fish species with different feeding types (carnivores, omnivores, filter feeders), finding that carnivores ingested the least microplastic while omnivores were less able to eliminate them than filter feeders.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 117 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion by fish: Body size, condition factor and gut fullness are not related to the amount of plastics consumed

Researchers examined microplastic ingestion in commercial cod and saithe collected in Iceland, finding particles in about 20% of cod and 17% of saithe stomachs. No significant relationship was found between microplastic ingestion and fish body size, weight, gut fullness, or condition index.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 147 citations