Papers

20 results
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Review Tier 2

Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Global Review of Distribution, Ecotoxicological Impacts, and Human Health Risks

This global review summarizes how microplastics are distributed across freshwater, marine, and polar environments, and examines their ecological and human health impacts. People are exposed through contaminated seafood, water, and air, and research links microplastic exposure to oxidative stress, inflammation, hormone disruption, and possible genetic effects at the cellular level.

2025 Water 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on human health and aquatic species

This review examines the harmful effects of microplastics on marine life and human health, covering physical injury, oxidative stress, and disrupted immune responses in fish and other organisms. Researchers found that these impacts can cascade through marine food webs, affecting biodiversity and ecosystem function. The study also highlights growing concerns about human exposure to microplastics through seafood and other pathways.

2024 E3S Web of Conferences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of microplastics in the aquatic environmental: distribution, transport, ecotoxicology, and toxicological mechanisms

This review examines how microplastics are distributed, transported, and accumulate throughout aquatic environments, and the toxicological effects they have on aquatic organisms. The study suggests that microplastics can affect human health through the food chain, but notes that understanding of combined toxicity mechanisms remains very limited. The authors identify significant knowledge gaps and call for more systematic environmental risk assessments across multiple species.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 153 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollutants in Aquatic Ecosystems: Present and Future Challenges

This review synthesizes evidence on microplastics as a widespread and growing contaminant found across marine, freshwater, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments. Organisms at every level of the food chain ingest microplastics, which cause physical harm, oxidative stress, and reproductive disruption, while also acting as carriers for toxic chemicals and pathogens. For humans, exposure via contaminated food, water, and air is well-documented — microplastics have been found in blood and tissues — though direct causal health links are still being established, making further research a priority.

2023 Water 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems

This review covers microplastic contamination in aquatic environments, examining MP sources, distribution pathways, ecotoxicological effects on aquatic organisms, trophic transfer dynamics, and the potential implications for human health through seafood consumption.

2025
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics in water and aquatic systems

This review examines the sources, distribution, and effects of microplastics in water and aquatic systems globally. Researchers found that microplastics are ingested by a wide range of aquatic organisms, leading to accumulation of toxic substances and disruption of physiological functions. The study highlights the urgent need for better waste management policies and further research into the long-term ecological consequences of microplastic pollution in freshwater and marine environments.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 747 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing Impact of Microplastics on Aquatic Food System and Human Health

This review assesses the impact of microplastics on aquatic food systems and human health, noting that aquatic species exposed to microplastics over extended periods can experience oxidative stress, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and reproductive issues. The study highlights that microplastics also act as carriers for other chemical pollutants in aquatic environments, compounding their potential risks through the food chain.

2023 Preprints.org 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental and Toxicological Effects of Microplastics on Aquatic Ecosystems

This review chapter covers the environmental and toxicological effects of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems, examining their distribution in oceans, lakes, and rivers and their negative impacts on the growth, reproduction, and immune function of aquatic organisms. It also addresses the potential for microplastics to enter the human food chain through contaminated seafood.

2025
Article Tier 2

Micro(nano)plastics Prevalence, Food Web Interactions, and Toxicity Assessment in Aquatic Organisms: A Review

This review examines the prevalence of micro- and nanoplastics across aquatic environments and their documented toxic effects on organisms ranging from plankton to fish, including DNA damage, reproductive harm, and neurotoxicity. Researchers found clear evidence that these particles transfer through aquatic food webs and can ultimately reach humans through seafood consumption. The study calls for more research into how microplastics carrying multiple contaminants cause combined toxic effects in marine organisms.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 164 citations
Article Tier 2

The Environmental and Health Implications of Microplastics on Human and Aquatic Life

This review summarizes the harmful effects of microplastics on both aquatic ecosystems and human health, covering physical injury, chemical toxicity, and immune disruption in marine organisms. Researchers found that microplastics can accumulate through the food chain and potentially affect human health through seafood consumption and other exposure routes. The study highlights the urgent need for policy interventions to reduce plastic pollution at its source.

2024 International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science 8 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

Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment: Occurrence, Persistence, Analysis, and Human Exposure

This review synthesizes global research on microplastic occurrence in aquatic environments, from rivers and lakes to wastewater and seafood, and examines how these particles eventually reach humans. Researchers found that microplastics are now ubiquitous in freshwater and marine systems, with trophic transfer and biomagnification serving as key routes of human exposure. The study highlights the need for standardized sampling and analysis methods to enable better comparison across studies and more accurate risk assessment.

2021 Water 104 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic (MP) Pollution in Aquatic Ecosystems and Environmental Impact on Aquatic Animals

This review summarizes the current state of microplastic pollution across freshwater and marine ecosystems worldwide. Researchers found that microplastics are now virtually everywhere in aquatic environments, entering food chains through ingestion by organisms ranging from tiny invertebrates to large fish. The study highlights that microplastics also act as carriers for toxic chemicals, compounding their potential harm to wildlife and, ultimately, to people who consume seafood.

2024 UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 6 citations
Review Tier 2

A comprehensive review of the impact of microplastics on aquatic organisms: From ingestion to ecological consequences

This comprehensive review assessed the impacts of microplastics on diverse aquatic organisms—including fish, marine mammals, mollusks, crustaceans, and microorganisms—from ingestion through ecological-level consequences. The authors found that microplastics cause physical injury, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and behavioral changes across taxa, with downstream effects on food web structure and ecosystem function.

2025 Applied Chemical Engineering
Article Tier 2

The Harmful Effects of Microplastic Pollution on Aquatic Organisms

This review summarized evidence on the harmful effects of microplastic pollution on aquatic organisms in both marine and freshwater environments, covering ingestion, entanglement, and chemical toxicity pathways. The paper highlighted how the lightweight, durable, and widespread nature of plastics makes them a pervasive threat to aquatic biodiversity.

2024 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in aquatic environments: detection, abundance, characteristics, and toxicological studies

This review summarizes current knowledge about microplastics in water environments, covering how they are detected, how abundant they are, and what toxic effects they have on living organisms. Microplastics are found throughout aquatic systems and can accumulate in organisms while also spreading other pollutants through the environment. The authors emphasize that more attention should be paid to microplastics in freshwater and organisms closely linked to human food sources, as well as toxicity studies in mammals.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 5 citations
Article Tier 2

A Comprehensive Review on Microplastic Pollution in Aquatic Ecosystems and Their Effects on Aquatic Biota

This comprehensive review examines microplastic pollution across freshwater and marine ecosystems and its effects on aquatic organisms. Researchers found that microplastics are abundant in both environments and that nearly all studies reviewed documented uptake by organisms along with alterations in biochemical parameters. The evidence indicates that microplastic contamination is becoming an increasingly serious environmental and health concern for aquatic life.

2023 AQUATIC SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Review of Ecotoxicological Effects, Exposure Pathways and Trophic Transfer Risks

This review synthesises evidence on the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics in marine, freshwater, and estuarine environments, covering ingestion, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, and physiological harms across aquatic fauna. It identifies chemical co-contamination and particle size as key modulators of toxicity.

2025 UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Freshwater Ecosystems: Sources, Transport and Ecotoxicological Impacts on Aquatic Life and Human Health

This review summarizes how microplastics enter freshwater ecosystems from sources like industrial runoff, urban waste, and agriculture, and how they accumulate in sediments where aquatic organisms ingest them. Researchers found that microplastics reduce feeding efficiency, inhibit growth, and harm reproduction in freshwater species, while also acting as carriers for toxic chemicals that build up through the food chain. The study highlights the need for better waste management and further research to understand the full scope of risks to both aquatic life and human health.

2025 Environment and Ecology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

A review on occurrence and environmental risk assessment for microplastics in freshwater systems

This review covers the occurrence, distribution, and health risks of microplastics across aquatic environments, food sources, and the atmosphere. It evaluates evidence for human exposure through multiple pathways and identifies gaps in understanding the full health impacts of chronic microplastic ingestion.

2019 The Korean Journal of Public Health 2 citations