Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Assessment of the effects of environmental concentrations of microplastics on the aquatic snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum

This 31-day study tested the effects of polystyrene microplastics on the New Zealand mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum, finding that even environmentally relevant concentrations reduced fertility in females. The results suggest microplastic pollution in freshwater environments can impair the reproductive success of small invertebrates at realistic exposure levels.

2021 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Unveiling microplastic pollution: Evaluating the role of Sinotaia quadrata (Caenogastropoda, Viviparidae) as a monitoring tool in freshwater ecosystems

Researchers evaluated whether the invasive freshwater snail Sinotaia quadrata could serve as a reliable monitoring tool for tracking microplastic pollution in waterways affected by human activity. The types and characteristics of microplastics found in the snails closely matched what was detected in the surrounding water and sediment. The study suggests that these snails could be a practical and cost-effective way to assess microplastic contamination levels in freshwater ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Hazardous or not – Are adult and juvenile individuals of Potamopyrgus antipodarum affected by non-buoyant microplastic particles?

Researchers exposed adult and juvenile mud snails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) to a mixture of five common polymer types at low and high dietary doses, finding no effects on morphology, reproduction, or development to maturity — suggesting that particle size and chemical composition may matter more than polymer presence alone in determining microplastic harm to freshwater invertebrates.

2016 Environmental Pollution 101 citations
Article Tier 2

The ecotoxicological impact of microplastics on freshwater invertebrates

This review summarizes the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics on freshwater invertebrates, finding evidence of harm including reduced feeding, growth, and reproduction across multiple species. Because invertebrates are key links in food webs, these effects could have broader consequences for freshwater ecosystems.

2019 CentAUR (University of Reading) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in freshwater ecosystems : effects and drivers

This thesis assessed how microplastic exposure affects freshwater microorganisms, macroinvertebrates, and other organisms in freshwater ecosystems, finding that microplastics are a pervasive contaminant of freshwater environments with unclear but potentially significant ecological impacts.

2024 Acta universitatis agriculturae Sueciae
Article Tier 2

Are microplastics impacting shellfish?

Researchers investigated whether microplastic contamination measurably impacts shellfish physiology, growth, reproduction, and health outcomes, assessing the ecological and food safety implications of microplastic exposure in commercially and ecologically important bivalve species.

2024
Article Tier 2

Bipartite trophic levels cannot resist the interference of microplastics: A case study of submerged macrophytes and snail

Researchers studied how microplastics affect a two-level food chain consisting of a submerged aquatic plant and freshwater snails living together. They found that increasing microplastic concentrations harmed both organisms, reducing plant growth and disrupting snail feeding behavior and reproduction. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution can destabilize interconnected species relationships in freshwater ecosystems.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, genotoxicity and prey-predator interactions in freshwater snails exposed to microplastics

This conference abstract investigates oxidative stress, nerve damage, DNA damage, and changes in predator-prey behavior in freshwater snails exposed to microplastics, pointing to a broad range of harmful biological effects. Understanding these impacts in aquatic invertebrates matters because they occupy important ecological roles and their exposure to microplastics can have cascading effects through food webs.

2023 Endocrine Abstracts
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in freshwater gastropods from a tropical river U-Taphao, southern Thailand

This study found microplastics in freshwater gastropod snails from a tropical river in southern Thailand, with concentrations ranging from about 4 to 7 particles per individual depending on species and collection site, confirming microplastic ingestion in freshwater invertebrates in Southeast Asia.

2023 PeerJ 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary investigation of microplastic contamination in river snails (Filopaludina martensi) in Eastern Thailand and evaluation of human exposure

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in river snails from local markets in eastern Thailand and found an average abundance of approximately 89 particles per gram of wet tissue. The predominant microplastics were fibers and fragments smaller than 1 millimeter, primarily made of polyethylene and polypropylene. The study estimates that regular consumption of river snails could result in meaningful human intake of microplastics, raising food safety concerns.

2024 E3S Web of Conferences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

[Occurrence Characteristics of Microplastics in Multi-environmental Media and Bellamya aeruginosa of Manao River].

Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence in water, sediment, and the snail Bellamya aeruginosa from multiple environmental compartments of the Manao River in China, finding microplastics across all matrices with the snail accumulating higher concentrations than surrounding water.

2024 PubMed 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

An effective method for evaluation of microplastic contaminant in gastropod from Taihu Lake, China

Researchers developed and validated a method for isolating and characterizing microplastics from freshwater snails (Bellamya aeruginosa), a species commonly found in Chinese lakes. Application of the method revealed widespread microplastic contamination in wild snails from Taihu Lake, a heavily polluted freshwater body.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in market bivalves from South Korea

Researchers investigated the effects of polystyrene microplastics on the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna, a key species in aquatic food webs. They found that microplastic exposure impaired reproduction, reduced growth, and caused oxidative stress even at relatively low concentrations. The study highlights that these tiny plastic particles can harm small freshwater organisms that play a critical role in maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems.

2018 Environmental Pollution 475 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Impact of Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions

This review examines microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems, covering chemical, biological, and ecological processes beyond simple physical contamination and identifying priority areas for future research directions.

2025 Indus journal of bioscience research.
Review Tier 2

Bioaccumulation and ecotoxicological impact of micro(nano)plastics in aquatic and land snails: Historical review, current research and emerging trends

This review summarizes the ecotoxicological impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic and land snail species worldwide. Researchers found evidence of microplastic bioaccumulation in 40 gastropod species, with Asia showing the highest contamination levels, and documented harmful effects including behavioral changes, oxidative stress, and tissue damage. The study highlights that toxicity depends on particle composition, shape, and size, and identifies significant research gaps in understanding how these pollutants affect invertebrate communities.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of PVC microplastic ingestion on Biomphalaria alexandrina: behavioral, physiological, and histological responses

Researchers exposed the freshwater snail Biomphalaria alexandrina to PVC microplastics and measured behavioral, physiological, and histological outcomes. They found concentration-dependent harm including reduced feeding and survival, oxidative stress, and damage to digestive glands.

2025 Hydrobiologia
Review Tier 2

Influence of Microplastics on Freshwater Bivalves (Review)

This review analyzed studies on microplastic uptake, bioaccumulation, and biological effects in freshwater bivalves, which serve as both pollution sentinels and vectors for microplastic entry into food webs. The authors found consistent evidence for particle accumulation causing physiological stress, while calling for more standardized exposure protocols to improve cross-study comparability.

2024 Inland Water Biology 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

Effect assessment of nano- and microplastics in freshwater ecosystems

This doctoral thesis assessed the effects of nano- and microplastics on freshwater ecosystems, from individual species to community-level impacts. Freshwater sediments are known to accumulate these particles, and the research addresses critical gaps in understanding how long-term exposure at realistic concentrations affects aquatic communities.

2020 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The organism fate of inland freshwater system under micro-/nano-plastic pollution: A review of past decade.

This review synthesized a decade of research on how micro- and nano-plastics affect freshwater organisms including microalgae, macrophytes, zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, and fish, finding that impacts range from impaired photosynthesis and oxidative stress to reproductive disruption and behavioral changes across multiple biological levels.

2023 Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Article Tier 2

Exploring the trophic transfer and effects of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems: A focus on Bellamya aeruginosa to Mylopharyngodon piceus

This study tracked how microplastics transfer through a freshwater food chain, from snails to a commercially important fish species in China. The fish steadily accumulated microplastics over five weeks of eating contaminated snails, with particles moving from the gut into muscle tissue and altering gut bacteria to include more potentially harmful species -- highlighting how microplastics in aquatic food chains could ultimately reach people who eat fish.

2024 Environmental Pollution 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and pathways of microplastics, quantification protocol and adverseeffects of microplastics towards freshwater and seawater biota

This review examines the occurrence, pathways, and adverse effects of microplastics on freshwater and marine organisms, highlighting how these particles can enter the food chain through seafood consumption. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion causes health hazards in aquatic animals and points to gaps in understanding how microplastics affect human health along the food supply chain.

2023 Food Research 11 citations