Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A Bayesian analysis of the factors determining microplastics ingestion in fishes

A Bayesian analysis of 123 fish microplastic ingestion studies found that after controlling for methodology, geographic differences in ingestion rates were modest, while study design variables (sample preservation, identification method) strongly influenced reported MP counts.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 101 citations
Article Tier 2

Widespread microplastic ingestion by fish assemblages in tropical estuaries subjected to anthropogenic pressures

A survey of 2,233 fish from 69 species across two tropical Brazilian estuaries found microplastics in 9% of individuals, with ingestion rates linked to feeding guild, habitat use, and proximity to urban areas. The study demonstrates that microplastic ingestion is widespread even in tropical systems and is shaped by ecology rather than occurring at random.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 302 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in fishes in amazon riverine beaches: Influence of feeding mode and distance to urban settlements

Researchers found microplastics in the digestive tracts of 29 fish species from Amazon riverine beaches, with contamination levels influenced by fish feeding mode and distance to urban settlements within a protected area.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Food ecology and presence of microplastic in the stomach content of neotropical fish in an urban river of the upper Paraná River Basin

Microplastics were found in the stomachs of multiple fish species in an urban Brazilian river, with ingestion rates linked to each species' feeding ecology. The findings confirm that microplastics have entered the freshwater food chain, raising concern about contamination reaching people who eat these fish.

2020 Ambiente e Agua - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic intake does not depend on fish eating habits: Identification of microplastics in the stomach contents of fish on an urban beach in Brazil

Researchers analyzed microplastic content in the stomachs of seven fish species from an urban beach in Brazil and found that trophic guild (carnivore, omnivore, herbivore) did not predict microplastic ingestion rates, suggesting that incidental ingestion during feeding is widespread regardless of diet type.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in demersal and pelagic fish from two differently anthropized bays on the south coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in demersal and pelagic fish from two bays with differing levels of human impact on the south coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The study compared microplastic occurrence across fish species and sampling sites to assess how anthropisation influences microplastic exposure in coastal fish populations.

2024 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in an Urbanized Estuary on the Brazilian Equatorial Margin: Analysis of Contamination in Commercially Intent Fish, Water and Sediment in the Anil River

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in fish, water, and sediment samples from the Anil River estuary on the Brazilian Equatorial Margin, focusing on commercially important fish species in an urbanized estuarine environment.

2025 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

First evidence of microplastic ingestion by fishes from the Amazon River estuary

Researchers documented the first evidence of microplastic ingestion by fish in the Amazon River estuary, finding plastic particles — predominantly polyamide and polyethylene pellets — in 30% of 189 specimens across 14 species, with larger fish containing more particles, indicating widespread contamination extending into one of the world's most biodiverse river systems.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 317 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of microplastic ingestion in commercial fish from Surabaya river, Indonesia

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in commercial fish species from the Surabaya River in Indonesia, a major urban waterway used for both clean water supply and fisheries. They found microplastics present in all fish studied, with variations in abundance linked to feeding behavior and habitat. The findings raise concerns about food safety for communities that rely on river fish as a dietary staple.

2023 Environmental Pollution 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Incidence of Watershed Land Use on the Consumption of Meso and Microplastics by Fish Communities in Uruguayan Lowland Streams

Researchers found that fish in urbanized Uruguayan lowland streams ingested significantly more meso- and microplastics than fish in streams draining extensive ranching land, with 309 individuals from 29 species analyzed. The results link watershed land use intensity to plastic contamination levels in freshwater fish communities.

2021 Water 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of Amazonian fish species with different feeding habits

Microplastics were found in the gastrointestinal tracts of multiple Amazonian fish species with different feeding habits from Lake Janauacá and the Anavilhanas Archipelago, with feeding strategy influencing ingestion rates—underscoring widespread microplastic contamination even in remote Amazon basin aquatic ecosystems.

2025 Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Urbanization is a major influence on microplastic ingestion by sunfish in the Brazos River Basin, Central Texas, USA

Researchers documented microplastic ingestion by bluegill and longear sunfish in the Brazos River Basin, Central Texas. The study found that urbanization was a major factor influencing microplastic ingestion rates, with fish from more urbanized watersheds containing higher quantities of microplastics, highlighting the connection between land use and freshwater contamination.

2016 Environmental Pollution 406 citations
Article Tier 2

The concentration of microplastic in water and fish (Gambusia affinis) collected from Brantas River

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in water and in the bodies of mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) from the Brantas River in Malang, Indonesia, finding contamination in both. The study confirms that freshwater fish in Indonesian urban rivers are ingesting microplastics, raising concerns about human exposure through fish consumption.

2021 AIP conference proceedings 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of plastic debris by commercially important marine fish in southeast-south Brazil

Scientists visually examined 965 specimens of eight commercially exploited fish species off the southeast-south coast of Brazil for plastic debris ingestion, finding plastic in multiple species across different marine habitats.

2020 Environmental Pollution 82 citations
Article Tier 2

First record of plastic ingestion by an important commercial native fish (Prochilodus lineatus) in the middle Tietê River basin, Southeast Brazil

Researchers documented the first record of plastic ingestion by Prochilodus lineatus in Brazilian fluvial ecosystems, finding that 71.88% of individuals sampled contained plastics in their digestive tracts, with significantly higher particle loads in fish from the polluted Tietê River versus a cleaner tributary.

2020 Biota Neotropica 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Avaliando a poluição plástica em ecossistemas brasileiros: um estudo integrado da poluição em organismos e ambientes.

Researchers examined plastic ingestion by freshwater fish across 23 species in the Upper Parana River floodplain in Brazil, finding that nine species ingested plastics and that seasonality significantly influenced ingestion rates, with the highest levels recorded during dry season. The study also synthesized trends and gaps in Brazilian plastic pollution research, linking plastic contamination patterns to fishing activities, domestic waste, and anthropogenic pressures in aquatic ecosystems.

2024 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Risk Analysis of Microplastic in Fish (Nemiptus Japonicas & Rastrelliger Sp.) in Communities in the Coast Area of Tamasaju, Galesong Takalar

Indonesian researchers measured microplastics in two commercially caught fish species from a coastal community in Takalar, South Sulawesi, and conducted a risk assessment of microplastic exposure from fish consumption. The study found detectable microplastic levels and estimated that regular fish consumers in this area are exposed to measurable microplastic doses.

2021 Medico-Legal Update 1 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in the gastrointestinal tract of fishes: A global systematic review and meta-analysis and meta-regression

Fish globally averaged 2.76 microplastic particles per gastrointestinal tract, with fish from enclosed water bodies (lakes, estuaries) containing 2-4x more than those from open oceans, and fish from low-income economies harboring 5.5x more microplastics than those from high-income economies.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of contamination due to ingestion of microplastics on commercial fish in relation to their trophic habits

Researchers evaluated the ingestion of microplastics by 28 Sciaenidae and 12 Ariidae fish species from estuaries in Tumaco and Buenaventura Bay, Colombia, examining stomach contents of 1,652 specimens across high and low precipitation seasons in 2020-2021 and analyzing how trophic level and other biological characteristics influence microplastic uptake.

2024
Systematic Review Tier 1

Geographical and ecological factors affect microplastic body burden in marine fish at global scale

This systematic review analyzed microplastic levels found in marine fish worldwide and identified key factors driving contamination. Fish from areas with heavy human activity contained more microplastics, and since many of these species are eaten by people, this contamination represents a direct route of human exposure through seafood.

2024 Environmental Pollution 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Prevalence of microplastics in commonly consumed fish species of the river Old Brahmaputra, Bangladesh

Researchers found microplastics in nearly 59% of edible fish from Bangladesh's Old Brahmaputra river, with polyethylene fibers and pellets dominating, and ingestion rates linked to fish size, feeding behavior, and downstream location.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of biological and environmental factors on microplastic ingestion of commercial fish species

Researchers analyzed microplastic ingestion in commercially important fish species, evaluating how biological and environmental factors influence ingestion rates across 2,222 individual fish. The study assessed gastrointestinal tract contents to determine the extent and patterns of microplastic contamination. The findings suggest that both species-specific biology and environmental conditions play important roles in determining microplastic ingestion levels in commercial fish.

2022 Chemosphere 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in commercial fish from a natural estuarine environment

Researchers examined the gastrointestinal tracts of commercial fish caught from a natural estuarine environment and found microplastics in a significant proportion of individuals, documenting both occurrence rates and particle characteristics.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 586 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination of stream fish by plastic waste in the Brazilian Amazon

Researchers evaluated plastic contamination in small fish from Amazonian headwater streams in Brazil, finding widespread plastic pollution in these understudied tropical freshwater ecosystems and characterizing the shapes, sizes, and abundance of plastic items ingested.

2020 Environmental Pollution 96 citations