Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic Exposure Across Trophic Levels: Effects on the Host Microbiota of Freshwater Organisms

Researchers investigated how microplastic exposure affects the gut bacteria communities of freshwater organisms including fish, invertebrates, and crustaceans. Microplastics—particularly when combined with pesticides—altered gut microbiota composition, which could impair digestion, immunity, and overall health of freshwater species.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic exposure across trophic levels: effects on the host–microbiota of freshwater organisms

Researchers examined how microplastic exposure across trophic levels affects the gut microbiota of freshwater organisms, finding that microplastics alter microbial community composition and that effects can transfer through food web interactions.

2022 Environmental Microbiome 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Additional file 1 of Microplastic exposure across trophic levels: effects on the host–microbiota of freshwater organisms

This dataset file supports a study on microplastic exposure across freshwater food chains, containing raw data from experiments where damselfly larvae were exposed to microplastics and the pesticide deltamethrin individually and in combination. The data tracks how microplastic and pesticide exposure affected damselfly survival and their susceptibility to predation by dragonflies.

2022 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on Daphnia-associated microbiomes in situ and in vitro

This study investigated how microplastic exposure alters the microbiome associated with Daphnia in freshwater, finding shifts in bacterial community composition that may affect host health and ecological function. The results suggest that microplastics can indirectly harm zooplankton by disrupting their microbial symbionts.

2024
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

The effects of exposure to microplastics and pollutants on the arthropod microbiome

This thesis investigated how microplastics and other pollutants (pesticides, detergents, metals) affect the gut microbiome of freshwater invertebrates. Disruption of the host-microbiome relationship by microplastics could impair immune function and overall health in aquatic organisms that form important parts of the food web.

2021 Digital comprehensive summaries of Uppsala dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on Daphnia -associated microbiomes in situ and in vitro

Researchers examined how microplastics affect the microbiome of Daphnia, a keystone freshwater organism, through both field sampling and controlled laboratory experiments. Using DNA sequencing techniques, they found that microplastic exposure altered the composition of bacterial communities associated with Daphnia. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may disrupt the beneficial microbial relationships that support the health of important freshwater species.

2024 The ISME Journal 3 citations
Article Tier 2

From plankton to fish: The multifaceted threat of microplastics in freshwater environments

This review summarizes how microplastics harm freshwater organisms from tiny plankton to fish through oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, gut microbiome disruption, and metabolic disorders. Microplastics often combine with other pollutants in water, making their toxic effects even worse. Since freshwater systems are a major pathway for microplastics entering oceans and our food supply, understanding these effects is critical for protecting both ecosystems and human health.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 17 citations
Article Tier 2

How microplastics influence the health and microbiota of aquatic invertebrates: A review

This review examines how microplastics affect the health and microbiota of aquatic invertebrates, an area that has received less attention than fish studies. Researchers summarize evidence showing that microplastics cause toxicity at biological and molecular levels, alter microbial communities associated with invertebrate hosts, and interact with climate change and other pollutants to produce combined effects. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps and proposes future research directions for understanding microplastic impacts on aquatic ecosystems.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicity of microplastics to freshwater biota: Considering exposure and hazard across trophic levels

This review examines the toxic effects of microplastics on freshwater organisms across multiple levels of the food web, from biofilms and plankton to fish and amphibians. Researchers found evidence of harm in several species, though effects varied widely depending on particle size, type, and concentration. The study highlights that freshwater microplastic toxicity is still poorly understood compared to marine environments and calls for more standardized research.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 150 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics diversify and reshape Daphnia microbiomes in parasite-infected and uninfected hosts

Scientists exposed water fleas (Daphnia magna) to polystyrene nanoplastics of two sizes, with and without a yeast parasite infection, and analyzed changes in their gut and body microbiomes. The smallest nanoplastics at the highest concentration caused the most dramatic shifts in bacterial communities, with effects that exceeded those caused by the parasite alone. The results suggest that nanoplastic pollution could fundamentally reshape the beneficial microbes that aquatic organisms depend on for their health.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics abundance in abiotic and biotic components along aquatic food chain in two freshwater ecosystems of Pakistan

Researchers quantified microplastic abundance across multiple trophic levels in two Pakistani freshwater ecosystems, finding evidence of bioaccumulation along the food chain from water and sediment through invertebrates to fish species.

2022 Chemosphere 29 citations
Article Tier 2

A multi-levels analysis to evaluate the toxicity of microplastics on aquatic insects: A case study with damselfly larvae (Ischnura elegans)

Researchers conducted a comprehensive study of how polystyrene microplastics affect damselfly larvae, a sensitive freshwater insect, examining effects from the whole organism down to the molecular level. Higher concentrations of microplastics impaired the larvae's movement, disrupted their gut bacteria, and caused oxidative stress in their tissues. Since aquatic insects are an important part of freshwater food webs, their sensitivity to microplastics signals broader risks to ecosystem health.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Direct and indirect ecological impacts of microplastic fibers on host-parasite and host-microbiota interactions

Researchers experimentally tested how polyester microplastic fibers of two sizes affect trematode parasite infection rates and gut microbiome composition in leopard frog tadpoles. Microplastic fibers altered both host-parasite dynamics and microbiota structure in size-dependent ways, demonstrating that plastic fiber pollution has cascading effects on freshwater ecological interactions.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Effect of emerging pollutants on the gut microbiota of freshwater animals: Focusing on microplastics and pesticides

This review examines how microplastics and pesticides, two pollutants commonly found together in freshwater, each disrupt the gut bacteria of fish and other aquatic animals, and their combined presence can make the effects worse. Changes in gut bacteria caused by these pollutants can impair metabolism, immunity, and overall health of aquatic organisms, with potential consequences for the food chain.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Multi stress system: Microplastics in freshwater and their effects on host microbiota

This study examined how combined exposure to microplastics and organic chemical pollutants affects freshwater organisms through a multi-stress approach, focusing on gut microbiome changes as an indicator. Microplastic exposure in combination with other pollutants altered microbiome composition more than either stressor alone, with potential consequences for host fitness and disease resistance.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of combined nutrient and pesticide exposure on algal biomass, and Daphnia magna abundance

This study tested how fertilizers and pesticides, alone and combined, affect tiny water organisms (Daphnia) and algae growth. Higher pesticide levels killed off Daphnia populations while allowing algae to bloom unchecked, disrupting the natural balance of aquatic ecosystems. While not directly about microplastics, these findings are relevant because microplastics in water can carry pesticide residues, potentially amplifying these harmful effects on the organisms that form the base of aquatic food webs.

2024 ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Trophic transfer and individual impact of nano-sized polystyrene in a four-species freshwater food chain

Researchers traced nano-sized polystyrene plastics through a four-species freshwater food chain — from algae to water fleas to two fish species — finding that nanoplastics transferred at each level and caused reduced activity, liver damage in fish, and penetration into fish embryos. The results highlight the broad ecological and health risks of nanoplastics moving up through aquatic food webs.

2018 Scientific Reports 454 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics modulate the outcome of a zooplankton–microparasite interaction

Researchers found that nanoplastics can alter the outcome of zooplankton-microparasite interactions, demonstrating that plastic pollution at the nanoscale may disrupt host-parasite dynamics in freshwater ecosystems with cascading ecological effects.

2023 Freshwater Biology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on key reproductive and biochemical endpoints of the freshwater microcrustacean Daphnia magna

Researchers studied how microplastics affect reproduction and biochemistry in the freshwater water flea Daphnia magna, a widely used indicator species. They found that microplastic exposure led to changes in reproductive output and altered key biochemical markers in these small crustaceans. The study suggests that even tiny plastic particles can disrupt important biological functions in freshwater organisms that form the base of aquatic food webs.

2024 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination across trophic levels in a lowland spring watercourse of Northwestern Italy: New insights and biomonitoring implications

Microplastic contamination was measured across trophic levels (algae, invertebrates, fish) in a lowland river ecosystem, finding that concentrations increased in organisms at higher levels of the food web. The trophic transfer data suggest that microplastics bioaccumulate through freshwater food chains.

2025 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics rewire freshwater food webs

Researchers used replicated experimental wetlands to study how nanoplastics affect freshwater food webs. They identified a tipping point at which nanoplastic concentrations became harmful to Daphnia, a key planktonic grazer, and also strongly affected diatom populations. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution can fundamentally rewire aquatic food web dynamics, with cascading effects through multiple trophic levels.

2024 Communications Earth & Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-term exposure of a free-living freshwater micro- and meiobenthos community to microplastic mixtures in microcosms

Researchers exposed a natural freshwater micro- and meiobenthos community to microplastic mixtures in long-term microcosm experiments, finding community-level effects that differ from single-species studies and highlighting the importance of realistic multi-polymer exposure scenarios.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on Reproduction and Growth of Freshwater Live Feeds Daphnia magna

Researchers found that microplastic exposure negatively affected reproduction and juvenile growth in Daphnia magna, a key freshwater zooplankton species, with effects worsening at higher concentrations and posing risks for aquatic food chains.

2022 Fishes 35 citations