Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Presence of Microplastics in Livestock Production: A Challenge for Animal Health and Sustainability

This review examines microplastic contamination in livestock production systems, summarizing evidence of microplastic presence in feed, water, and animal tissues, and discussing implications for animal health, food safety, and sustainability.

2025
Article Tier 2

Development and application of a novel extraction protocol for the monitoring of microplastic contamination in widely consumed ruminant feeds

Researchers developed the first specialized method for detecting microplastics in cattle feed, including corn silage, hay, and mixed rations. They found that 50-60% of foreign objects in slaughtered cattle are plastic-based, and microplastics have been detected in ruminant tissues and feces. Since contaminated feed is a likely source, this detection method is important for understanding how microplastics enter the meat supply chain and potentially reach human consumers.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection and characterisation of microplastics in animal feed

Researchers detected microplastics in livestock and poultry feed samples collected from 12 different farms using infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in animal feed represents a potential pathway for these particles to enter the human food chain, raising concerns for food security.

2023 Online Journal of Animal and Feed Research 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastics on Livestock: Sources, Exposure Pathways, and Physiological Consequences

This review examined how microplastics enter livestock systems through contaminated soil, water, and feed, and assessed the resulting risks to animal health, food safety, and agricultural sustainability. The review highlights that livestock exposure pathways are numerous and that microplastic contamination of the food chain is a growing concern.

2024 Journal Of Advanced Zoology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics contamination in ruminant feeds of Northwestern Italy: a preliminary assessment

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in common cattle feeds at dairy farms in northwestern Italy, including corn silage, hay, and high-protein feedstuff. All feed types contained microplastics, with corn silage being the most contaminated at about 38 particles per gram. Since microplastics in animal feed can transfer into meat and dairy products, this finding highlights a potential route of human exposure through the food we eat.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 5 citations
Article Tier 2

The measurement of food safety and security risks associated with micro- and nanoplastic pollution

Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastic pollution enters the human food chain through agricultural systems, raising concerns for food safety and security. They identified major gaps in our ability to assess the risks of plastic contamination in food and feed sources. The study calls for interdisciplinary approaches and better analytical methods to understand and address this growing challenge.

2023 TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in manure: Sources, analytical methods, toxicodynamic, and toxicokinetic endpoints in livestock and poultry

Researchers reviewed the occurrence of microplastics in livestock and poultry manure, finding hundreds to thousands of particles per kilogram depending on the animal, with plastic-contaminated feed and mulching films as the primary sources. Because manure is widely spread on farmland as fertilizer, it represents a significant — and underappreciated — pathway for microplastics to enter agricultural soils and ultimately the food chain.

2023 Environmental Advances 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid detection of microplastics in feed using near-infrared spectroscopy

Researchers tested whether near-infrared spectroscopy could rapidly detect microplastic contamination in animal feed products like corn silage, hay, and soybean meal. The technique successfully identified polyethylene and polystyrene contaminants at concentrations as low as 1 milligram per gram of feed. The study offers a practical, non-destructive screening method that could help protect the food chain from microplastic contamination in livestock nutrition.

2024 ACTA IMEKO 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Aquafeed Ingredients Used as Protein and Carbohydrate Sources

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in common aquafeed ingredients used as protein and carbohydrate sources. They found that poultry by-products had the highest microplastic levels, with polypropylene being a dominant polymer type likely originating from packaging materials. The study identifies a pathway by which microplastics can enter aquaculture food chains through contaminated feed ingredients.

2024 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Vědecký článek Jimp1

This review summarized current knowledge about microplastics in animal nutrition, covering their occurrence in feed ingredients and water, routes of exposure in livestock and poultry, and potential physiological and metabolic effects on animal health.

2025 Open MIND
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastic contamination in livestock production: Entry pathways, potential effects and analytical challenges

This review evaluates how micro- and nanoplastics enter livestock production systems through plastic mulching, waste fragmentation, and water runoff. The study suggests that these plastic particles can accumulate in livestock animals and potentially transfer up the food chain, though standardized analytical methods and comprehensive studies on livestock health effects are still lacking.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 55 citations
Article Tier 2

A critical review of microplastic pollution in breeding industry: Sources, distribution, impacts, and characterization techniques, mitigation strategies and future research directions

This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic pollution in the breeding and livestock industry, covering sources, distribution patterns, and potential impacts on animal and human health through the food chain. Researchers identified key gaps in current understanding of how microplastics move through farming environments and accumulate in livestock. The study calls for more systematic research to help the industry develop strategies for preventing microplastic contamination.

2024 Chemosphere 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic assessment in aquaculture feeds: Analyzing polymer variability across commercial fishfeeds from three continents

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in commercial aquaculture feeds, detecting particles across multiple feed types and suppliers and characterizing polymer variability, which may introduce plastics into farmed fish.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment of Microplastics in Drinking Water, Raw Materials, and Animal Feed Additives

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in drinking water, feed ingredients, and complete diets at two dairy farms in Iran. The study found large numbers of microplastics of varying sizes and colors in feedstuffs, estimating that each cow ingests over 5,000 microplastic particles daily through their feed, raising concerns about potential transfer through the food chain.

2026 Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine
Article Tier 2

Bioanalytical approaches for the detection, characterization, and risk assessment of micro/nanoplastics in agriculture and food systems

This review examines bioanalytical methods for detecting micro- and nanoplastics throughout the agricultural and food supply chain, covering techniques from microscopy and spectroscopy to emerging approaches for characterizing plastic contamination and assessing associated risks.

2022 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination and Quantification of Microplastics in Grasslands for Feed and Possible Impacts on Livestock

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in both soil and forage grass from four grassland feed sites in Indonesia, finding that grass samples contained more microplastics (160–260 items/kg) than soils (70–170 items/kg), with polyethylene fibers dominating, raising concerns about livestock exposure through feed.

2025 Environmental Quality Management 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in farmyard manures: implications for sustainable agriculture

Researchers investigated microplastic abundance and characteristics in non-commercial farmyard manures - a largely understudied pathway for microplastic entry into agricultural soils. The study assessed how manure application may serve as a source of microplastic contamination in farmland, contributing to understanding of plastic pollution cycles in terrestrial agricultural ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Small Ruminants I

A study in Guayas Province, Ecuador, found microplastics in every sample collected from 200 sheep feces, water, and feed samples, with water origin and feed category as the primary sources of microplastic contamination in small ruminant farming.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Commercial Insect Meal: A Valid Analytical Method to Detect It

Researchers developed and validated an analytical method for detecting microplastic contamination in commercial insect meal, finding microplastics present and underscoring the need for standardized testing as insect-based foods enter the human food chain.

2024 Preprints.org
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in straw

Researchers analyzed straw samples from agricultural fields in southern Finland and found they contained varying amounts of microplastics, raising concerns for animal health via feed exposure and complicating the valorization of agricultural residues into high-value cellulose microfibrils, whose production was found to depend on microplastic content in the biomass.

2022 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Comparison of three digestion methods for microplastic extraction from aquaculture feeds

Researchers compared three digestion methods for extracting microplastics from aquaculture feed samples, evaluating their effectiveness and impact on plastic particle integrity. The study found that the choice of digestion protocol significantly affects microplastic recovery rates, highlighting the importance of method standardization for reliable contamination assessments in aquaculture products.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Size and shape attributes of packaging remnants commonly detected in former food products

This study is peripherally relevant to microplastics; it characterizes the size and shape of packaging remnants — including plastic fragments — found in animal feed made from repurposed food products. While it does not study microplastics per se, it highlights plastic contamination risks in the food supply chain and identifies measurement methods that could help detect and reduce plastic particles in livestock feed.

2024 Italian Journal of Animal Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on Animal Health and Nutrition Year 2024, Volume: 21 Issue: 2, 72 - 77, 02.08.2024

This review examined the effects of microplastics on animal health and nutrition, summarizing experimental evidence across livestock, poultry, and aquaculture species and identifying pathways by which dietary plastic exposure affects growth and feed efficiency.

2024 Erciyes University - AVESIS
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Small Ruminants II

Researchers examined 100 fecal samples from goats in Manabí Province, Ecuador, finding microplastic contamination in all samples and identifying the specific plastic types using two laboratory processing methods.

2025