Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Influence of Microplastics on the Growth and the Intestinal Microbiota Composition of Brine Shrimp

Researchers exposed brine shrimp to polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics and found that both types significantly reduced growth rates, with body length decreasing by 15-18%. The study also revealed that microplastic ingestion altered the gut microbiota composition, increasing microbial diversity and shifting the balance of key bacterial groups in the shrimp intestines.

2021 Frontiers in Microbiology 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined Vibrio and nanoplastics stress promotes nanoplastic accumulation while reducing bacterial lethality in shrimp

Researchers discovered that Vibrio bacteria act as carriers for nanoplastics in shrimp, ferrying the tiny particles through the gut wall and concentrating them in organs, but interestingly the nanoplastics also weakened the bacteria's ability to cause infection, showing that plastic-pathogen interactions in seafood are complex and two-directional.

2026 npj Science of Food
Article Tier 2

Dangerous hitchhikers? Evidence for potentially pathogenic Vibrio spp. on microplastic particles

Researchers tested whether marine microplastics carry potentially pathogenic Vibrio bacteria, finding Vibrio species on microplastic surfaces in seawater, raising concerns about plastics as vehicles for transporting harmful bacteria in marine environments.

2016 Marine Environmental Research 888 citations
Article Tier 2

Bacterial biofilms colonizing plastics in estuarine waters, with an emphasis on Vibrio spp. and their antibacterial resistance

Scientists characterized bacterial biofilms colonizing plastic debris in estuarine waters, finding that plastics host distinct communities including Vibrio species with elevated antibiotic resistance compared to surrounding water.

2020 PLoS ONE 104 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Microplastic Ingestion on Survival of the Grass Shrimp Palaemonetes pugio (Holthuis, 1949) Challenged with Vibrio campbellii

Grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) that had ingested microplastics showed increased mortality when subsequently challenged with the marine pathogen Vibrio campbellii compared to shrimp that had not ingested plastics. This finding suggests that microplastic ingestion can compromise immune defenses in marine crustaceans, making them more vulnerable to bacterial infections.

2019 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Risk assessment of microplastic in commercial salt sold in Malaysia

Researchers conducted a risk assessment of microplastics in commercial table salt sold in Malaysia, finding that contaminated seawater used during sea salt production introduces microplastics into a widely consumed daily food ingredient with potential adverse health effects.

2023 UiTM Institutional Repositories (Universiti Teknologi MARA)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in Table Salts from China

Researchers analyzed table salts produced in China and found microplastics contaminating samples from multiple salt types, suggesting that salt production processes and source water quality influence the extent of microplastic contamination in a common food ingredient.

2015 Environmental Science & Technology 1056 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion and bioaccumulation of polystyrene nanoplastics and their effects on the microalgal feeding of Artemia franciscana

Brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics ingested and bioaccumulated the particles, which also affected their feeding behavior on microalgae and caused changes in gut microbiota. These effects on a widely used aquaculture species raise concerns about nanoplastic contamination in marine food production.

2019 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Microplastic-Associated Biofilm Development along a Freshwater-Estuarine Gradient

Researchers characterized biofilm bacterial communities on three types of microplastics incubated along a freshwater-estuarine gradient, finding that salinity and plastic type influenced microbial community composition and succession over a 31-day period.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 119 citations
Article Tier 2

From Sea Water to Salt Crystals: An Onsite Investigation of Microplastics in a Conventional Sea Salt Farming System

Researchers conducted on-site sampling of sea salt crystals and traced microplastic contamination at multiple stages from seawater through to the final salt product. Microplastics were detected throughout the production chain, highlighting potential dietary exposure from table salt.

2024 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Extraction of microplastics from commonly used sea salts in India and their toxicological evaluation

Scientists extracted and characterized microplastics from commercial sea salts sold in India, finding contamination across brands and conducting toxicological tests showing potential harm to marine organisms.

2020 Chemosphere 95 citations
Article Tier 2

[Accumulation and Clearance of Polystyrene Microplastics in Brine Shrimp and the Responses of Microbiome and Metabolism].

Researchers exposed brine shrimp (Artemia salina) to polystyrene microplastics of different sizes and concentrations under varying nutritional conditions and analyzed microbiome and metabolic responses. Accumulation and clearance were concentration-dependent, while nutritional status modulated MP uptake; combined microbiome and metabolomics analysis revealed disruptions in microbial community composition and metabolic function.

2025 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on microbial diversity and pathogen distribution in aquaculture ecosystems: A seasonal analysis

Researchers studied bacteria growing on microplastics in fish farming waters and found that in summer, these plastic-attached communities became more connected and harbored several disease-causing species including Vibrio. Microplastics in aquaculture act as floating habitats for harmful bacteria, and seasonal warming makes this worse, raising concerns about seafood safety and the spread of infections to humans.

2025 Environmental Pollution 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of mariculture-derived microplastics on bacterial biofilm formation and their potential threat to mariculture: A case in situ study on the Sungo Bay, China

Scientists examined biofilm colonization on mariculture-derived microplastics (fishing nets, foams, floats) in Sanggou Bay, China over 21 days and found distinct microbial communities including potential fish pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes, raising concerns for mariculture safety.

2020 Environmental Pollution 105 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential risks of microplastics combined with superbugs: Enrichment of antibiotic resistant bacteria on the surface of microplastics in mariculture system

Microplastics in a mariculture (sea farming) system were found to selectively enrich antibiotic-resistant bacteria on their surfaces compared to surrounding water, creating hotspots of antibiotic resistance in food production environments. This dual threat - microplastics acting as both pollutants and carriers of resistant pathogens - has significant implications for seafood safety.

2019 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 325 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in processed and unprocessed sea salts from a developing country and potential risk assessment

Researchers found that sea salts from Bangladesh contained 157-195 microplastic particles per kilogram, 2-3 times higher than levels reported in other countries, with unprocessed salts containing more contamination than processed varieties.

2022 Chemosphere 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of plastic waste pollution in seawater to microplastic contamination in salt fields at Rembang

This study found microplastic particles in sea salt harvested from salt pans in Rembang, Indonesia, tracing their origin to plastic waste in the surrounding seawater. The findings add to growing evidence that microplastics contaminate table salt, representing a direct route of human dietary exposure to plastic particles.

2023 AIP conference proceedings 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary investigation of microplastics in the production process of sea salt sourced from the Bohai Sea, China, using an optimised and consistent approach

Researchers tracked microplastic contamination through each stage of sea salt production in China, from seawater to refined salt. Microplastics were present throughout the process, with concentrations decreasing at later stages, but not eliminated entirely—highlighting table salt as a pathway for human microplastic ingestion.

2021 Food Additives & Contaminants Part A 10 citations
Article Tier 2

The occurrence of pollutants in organisms and water of inland mariculture systems: Shrimp aquaculture is a procession of Microplastics accumulation

This study examined microplastic contamination in water and shrimp at different stages of both pond-based and industrial inland aquaculture systems, finding that shrimp accumulated microplastics throughout the production cycle. The results establish shrimp aquaculture as a notable pathway for microplastic transfer into the food supply.

2023 Environmental Pollution 18 citations
Article Tier 2

“Microplastic seasoning”: A study on microplastic contamination of sea salts in Bangladesh

Researchers tested 18 brands of commercial sea salt from Bangladesh and found microplastics present in every sample, with an average of about 472 particles per kilogram. The study suggests that sea salt represents a dietary pathway for human microplastic exposure, with fibers and fragments being the most commonly detected particle types.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological effects of microplastics and sulfadiazine on Artemia sinica

Researchers exposed the brine shrimp Artemia sinica to the antibiotic sulfadiazine and polystyrene microplastics individually and in combination, finding that all treatments reduced swimming speed and altered antioxidant capacity, with combined exposure producing exacerbated effects.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

In Vitro Investigation of the Colonization of Microplastic Surfaces by Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Researchers investigated how Vibrio parahaemolyticus -- a shrimp pathogen -- colonizes microplastic surfaces in the context of shrimp aquaculture, using in vitro methods. Microplastic surfaces supported Vibrio biofilm formation and could serve as vectors carrying this pathogen into shrimp farms, posing food safety and aquaculture health risks.

2024 The Philippine journal of science
Article Tier 2

Effects of salinity on naphthalene adsorption and toxicity of polyethylene microparticles on Artemia salina

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics and the chemical pollutant naphthalene interact at different salinity levels and affect the survival and feeding of brine shrimp. They found that higher concentrations of both microplastics and naphthalene reduced shrimp survival rates, and that microplastics adsorbed more naphthalene at elevated salinity levels. The findings demonstrate that the co-occurrence of microplastics and chemical pollutants in aquatic environments can create compounding harmful effects on marine organisms.

2024 Chemosphere 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of salt intended for human consumption for the presence of physical contaminants: microplastics an emerging contaminant in the food area

Researchers analyzed eight salt samples sold in Rio de Janeiro supermarkets and found physical contaminants consistent with microplastics in five of them, suggesting oceanic microplastic contamination is reaching consumers through table salt and underscoring the need for food quality monitoring programs.

2023 Brazilian Journal of Health Review 2 citations