Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Ingestion and transfer of microplastics in the planktonic food web

Researchers demonstrated that microplastics are ingested and transferred through a planktonic food web, with particles passing from primary producers to zooplankton grazers and on to predatory plankton, establishing trophic transfer as a real pathway for microplastic movement through marine food chains.

2013 Environmental Pollution 1567 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on the feeding rates of larvae of a coastal fish: direct consumption, trophic transfer, and effects on growth and survival

Researchers tested whether microplastics in seawater affect the feeding rates, growth, and survival of California Grunion fish larvae. They found that microplastics reduced feeding rates and demonstrated that trophic transfer of microplastics from zooplankton to larval fish occurs readily. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may impair early fish development by interfering with feeding behavior and introducing contaminants through the food chain.

2022 Marine Biology 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Trophic transfer of microplastics and mixed contaminants in the marine food web and implications for human health

This review examines how microplastics act as vectors for chemical contaminants through marine food webs, discussing the factors influencing ingestion, the biological impacts of sorbed chemicals, and evidence for trophic transfer across multiple trophic levels. Researchers highlight that existing lab studies use unrealistically high concentrations and that no study has yet tracked microplastic-contaminant transfer from seafood to humans.

2018 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and associated contaminants in the aquatic environment: A review on their ecotoxicological effects, trophic transfer, and potential impacts to human health

This review examines how microplastics and the chemical contaminants they carry move through aquatic food chains from small organisms up to larger predators. Researchers found that microplastics can transfer toxic additives and absorbed pollutants to organisms that ingest them, with potential implications for seafood safety and ultimately human health.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 727 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecological impact of microplastic pollution on marine food webs

This review examines how microplastic pollution disrupts marine food webs, tracing the transfer of plastic particles and associated chemicals from plankton through fish to top predators and analyzing the ecological consequences for marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

2025 International Journal of Aquatic Research and Environmental Studies
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on Living Organisms and their Trophic Transfer: An Ecotoxicological Review

This ecotoxicological review examines the effects of microplastics on living organisms across multiple trophic levels and their transfer through food webs, covering evidence from aquatic and terrestrial environments. The authors highlight the cumulative risks posed by microplastic ingestion and tissue accumulation.

2023 Futuristic Biotechnology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring transfer of microplastics in the trophic chain: a prey-predator interaction case in the Strait of Messina

Researchers examined the transfer of microplastics across trophic levels in a prey-predator marine food web, tracking particles from prey organisms to predators. The study confirmed trophic transfer of microplastics and found that predators can accumulate higher particle concentrations than their prey.

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

Trophic transfer increases the exposure to microplastics in littoral predators

Researchers studied how microplastics move through Baltic Sea food chains from zooplankton to shrimp to prawns in laboratory experiments. They found that predators accumulated microplastics both from the water directly and by eating contaminated prey, with trophic transfer significantly increasing overall exposure. The study suggests that animals higher up the food chain face compounded microplastic exposure from multiple sources.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Trophic transfer of microplastics and mixed contaminants in the marine food web and implications for human health

This review examines how microplastics move through marine food webs via trophic transfer and carry chemical contaminants that can accumulate in higher predators, including humans. Researchers found that microplastics readily sorb pollutants from surrounding waters and release them after being ingested by organisms, potentially amplifying toxic effects at each level of the food chain. The study underscores the need for more research on bioaccumulation factors and the implications of seafood-mediated microplastic exposure for human health.

2018 Environment International 1310 citations
Article Tier 2

Trophic transference of microplastics under a low exposure scenario: Insights on the likelihood of particle cascading along marine food-webs

Researchers tested whether microplastics could transfer from prey to predators under a realistic low-exposure scenario, using mussels as prey and crabs and puffer fish as predators. They found that microplastics present only in mussel hemolymph did transfer to predators upon consumption, but the particles did not persist in predator tissues after 10 days. The findings suggest that under low-exposure conditions, trophic transfer of microplastics may occur but without significant long-term accumulation in predator species.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 244 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on the Feeding Rates of Larvae of a Coastal Fish: Direct Consumption, Trophic Transfer, and Effects on Growth and Survival

Microplastics in seawater reduced the feeding rates of California grunion larvae and could be transferred from prey (copepods) to fish, indicating trophic transfer is possible. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution may impair fish growth and survival by reducing food intake in early life stages.

2021 3 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024
Article Tier 2

Trophic transfer of microplastics in zooplanktons towards its speculations on human health: A review

This review examines how microplastics move through the ocean food chain, from tiny zooplankton at the base up through fish to humans, and what health effects may result. Trophic transfer means microplastics can concentrate as they move up the food web, increasing human dietary exposure.

2019 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Trophic transfer and their impact of microplastics on estuarine food chain model

Researchers tracked how polystyrene microplastics move through a simulated marine food chain from brine shrimp to shrimp to fish, confirming that microplastics transfer between species at each level. Although the amount transferred was relatively low, all organisms showed signs of biochemical stress from the exposure. This trophic transfer is concerning because it means microplastics can accumulate up the food chain and potentially reach humans through seafood consumption.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Their Impacts on Organisms and Trophic Chains

This review synthesizes current knowledge on microplastic pollution, examining the mechanisms by which microplastics affect organisms at multiple levels of biological organization and how plastic particles transfer through trophic chains, accumulating and potentially magnifying in concentration up the food web. Researchers highlight evidence for physical, chemical, and microbial impacts on organisms ranging from invertebrates to mammals, including humans, and identify priority areas for future ecotoxicological research.

2022 Water 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Feasting on microplastics: ingestion by and effects on marine organisms

This review synthesizes experimental studies on microplastic ingestion and effects across a wide range of marine organisms, finding evidence of physical harm, reproductive effects, and reduced feeding in multiple taxa. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the biological consequences of microplastic ingestion and identifies key knowledge gaps for future research.

2018 Aquatic Biology 236 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigations into the Roles of Organisms on Environmental Plastic Pollution

This thesis investigated the roles of organisms in environmental plastic pollution, examining how marine and freshwater animals ingest microplastics and how they may transfer them through food webs. The work contributes to understanding the ecological consequences of plastic contamination in aquatic ecosystems.

2021 Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium)
Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulation, transfer, and impacts of microplastics in aquatic food chains

Researchers tracked microplastics through an experimental aquatic food chain from algae to copepods to fish and found that the tiny particles transferred up each level, harming organisms at every step. Microplastics reduced algae growth, killed copepods, and changed fish behavior in ways that made them more vulnerable to predators. This demonstrates how microplastic pollution can cascade through entire ecosystems and potentially reach humans through seafood.

2024 Journal of Environmental Exposure Assessment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Trophic transfer of microplastics and mixed contaminants in the marine food web and implications for human health

This review examines how microplastics and the chemicals they carry transfer through marine food webs from lower to higher trophic levels, and what this means for human health given that people consume marine fish and seafood. It identifies microplastics as a vector for bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in ways that ultimately reach humans.

2018 OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)
Article Tier 2

Trophic transfer of polyester microfibres across a multi-level marine food web

Researchers tracked how polyester microfibers move through a coral reef food chain, from tiny copepods to shrimp to fish. They found that microplastic concentrations increased up to 14.6-fold between trophic levels, demonstrating that these particles accumulate as they pass up the food web. The study highlights how microplastics can concentrate in marine organisms through normal predator-prey relationships.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Research Progress on the Migration Pathways and Ecological Effects of Microplastics in Marine Food Webs

This paper reviews migration pathways and ecological effects of microplastics within marine food webs, tracing MP movement from primary producers through various trophic levels to apex predators and humans, and synthesizing evidence for biological harm at each stage of trophic transfer.

2025 Advances in Engineering Technology Research
Article Tier 2

Exploring transfer of microplastics in the trophic chain: a prey-predator interaction case in the Strait of Messina

This study examined how microplastics transfer through marine food webs via predator-prey interactions, tracking the movement of particles across trophic levels. Results confirmed that microplastics can be transferred from prey to predator and accumulate at higher trophic levels, posing risks to top predators and fisheries.

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

Trophic transfer of microplastics in an estuarine food chain and the effects of a sorbed legacy pollutant

Researchers investigated microplastic trophic transfer using a model estuarine food chain of tintinnids (single-celled organisms) and larval silversides fish. They found that fish ingested significantly more microplastics through contaminated prey than through direct exposure, and larvae that consumed DDT-treated microspheres showed increased feeding on contaminated prey. Larvae exposed to microplastics had significantly lower body weight after 16 days, demonstrating that trophic transfer is a meaningful route of microplastic exposure with measurable harmful effects.

2020 Limnology and Oceanography Letters 166 citations