Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A Biomarker Approach as Responses of Bioindicator Commercial Fish Species to Microplastic Ingestion: Assessing Tissue and Biochemical Relationships

Researchers assessed microplastic intake and antioxidant biomarker responses in three Mediterranean fish species, finding that microplastic ingestion correlated with oxidative stress indicators across red mullet, bogue, and anchovy populations.

2022 Biology 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of microplastics and occurrence of parasite association in Mediterranean anchovy and sardine

Scientists quantified microplastic ingestion in European sardines and anchovies from the Northwestern Mediterranean, finding 58–60% occurrence rates and noting that parasite infection was negatively associated with microplastic presence, suggesting shared ecological or physiological factors.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 91 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination from microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in the digestive tracts of the commercial species Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardina pilchardus

Researchers compiled a dataset of microplastics and anthropogenic particles found in the stomach contents of anchovy and sardines in the Gulf of Cadiz (Europe), recording particle characteristics alongside fish biometric data, geographic coordinates, and distances to major river mouths and coastal cities.

2022 DIGITAL.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council (CSIC))
Article Tier 2

Contamination from microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in the digestive tracts of the commercial species Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardina pilchardus

Researchers compiled a dataset of microplastics and anthropogenic particles found in the stomach contents of anchovy and sardines in the Gulf of Cadiz (Europe), recording particle characteristics alongside fish biometric data, geographic coordinates, and distances to major river mouths and coastal cities.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

High microplastics concentration in liver is negatively associated with condition factor in the Benguela hake Merluccius polli

Researchers quantified microplastics in gills, liver, and muscle of 94 Benguela hake caught commercially off northwest Africa, finding that high liver microplastic concentrations were negatively correlated with fish body condition, suggesting physiological costs of microplastic accumulation.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Relationship between biological, ecological parameters and microplastic concentration in Mediterranean fish species

Researchers detected and characterized microplastics in five commercially important Mediterranean fish species -- including Mullus barbatus, Sardina pilchardus, and Trachinus draco -- and analyzed how biological parameters (length, weight) and ecological factors (diet, habitat) influenced microplastic contamination levels across species.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Contamination from microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in the digestive tracts of the commercial species Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardina pilchardus

Researchers examined the presence of microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in the digestive tracts of European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus) sampled along the continental shelf of Spain, finding bioaccumulation of particles across these commercially important fish species with implications for food web contamination and human health.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Contamination from microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in the digestive tracts of the commercial species Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardina pilchardus

Researchers examined the presence of microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in the digestive tracts of European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus) sampled along the continental shelf of Spain, finding bioaccumulation of particles across these commercially important fish species with implications for food web contamination and human health.

2022
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of microplastics and natural fibres in Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) and Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758) along the Spanish Mediterranean coast

Microplastics and natural fibers were found in the digestive tracts of European sardines and anchovies collected from 14 stations along the Spanish Mediterranean coast, with microplastics present in about 15% of individuals. The study documents widespread but variable microplastic ingestion in two commercially important small pelagic fish species that are key components of Mediterranean food webs and human diets.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 263 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination from microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in the digestive tracts of the commercial species Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardina pilchardus

Researchers examined microplastic and anthropogenic particle contamination in the digestive tracts of European anchovies and sardines from Spanish waters, finding widespread ingestion of synthetic particles in these commercially important fish species.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Fish morphometric body condition indices reflect energy reserves but other physiological processes matter

Researchers analyzed fat content, stress hormones, and metabolic markers in European sardines from three populations to test whether standard body condition measurements accurately reflect overall fish health. They found that body shape indices reliably indicate fat reserves but miss other important health signals like oxidative stress and digestive function, suggesting a more comprehensive approach is needed when studying how fish cope with environmental pressures.

2023 Ecological Indicators 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Fish as a Bioindicator of Microplastic Contamination in the Mediterranean Sea: State of Knowledge

This review examines the use of fish species as bioindicators of microplastic contamination in the Mediterranean Sea. The analysis found that increasing microplastic pollution would further threaten already-stressed fishery stocks in the region. Researchers recommend prioritizing studies on the most consumed Mediterranean fish species, such as sardine, anchovy, and bluefin tuna, which have been reported to be highly contaminated by microplastics.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion by fish: Body size, condition factor and gut fullness are not related to the amount of plastics consumed

Researchers examined microplastic ingestion in commercial cod and saithe collected in Iceland, finding particles in about 20% of cod and 17% of saithe stomachs. No significant relationship was found between microplastic ingestion and fish body size, weight, gut fullness, or condition index.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 147 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine litter in stomach content of small pelagic fishes from the Adriatic Sea: sardines (Sardina pilchardus) and anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus)

Researchers examined marine litter and microplastics in the stomach contents of sardines (Sardina pilchardus) and anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus) from the Adriatic Sea across seasons in 2013-2014, finding marine litter in over 90% of samples from both species. Ingestion levels were correlated with species, season, and fish biometry, underscoring the widespread contamination of small pelagic fish at the base of Mediterranean food webs.

2018 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 140 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion by pelagic and benthic fish and diet composition: A case study in the NW Iberian shelf

Researchers found microplastics in 78% of fish examined across four pelagic and benthic species from the NW Iberian shelf, with ingestion rates varying by feeding ecology and habitat depth, and identified predominantly fibers and fragments in gastrointestinal contents following alkaline tissue digestion.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 97 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics FTIR characterisation and distribution in the water column and digestive tracts of small pelagic fish in the Gulf of Lions

Researchers found microplastics in 93% of water column samples and in 12% of sardines and 11% of anchovies sampled from the Gulf of Lions in the NW Mediterranean Sea, characterizing plastic composition by FTIR and finding similar debris types in both water and fish digestive tracts.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 124 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastic Ingestion on Commercial Fish: A Trophic-Level Analysis

Researchers analyzed over 1,600 fish from two Colombian estuaries and found a significant link between a fish species' position in the food chain and the amount of microplastics it ingests. Fish that feed at higher levels of the food web accumulated more microplastics, and those that had ingested plastics showed signs of poorer body condition. The findings highlight how microplastics build up through the marine food chain, with potential consequences for both ecosystem and human health.

2025 International Journal of Environmental Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion decreases energy reserves in marine worms

Researchers exposed marine worms to microplastics and found that ingestion reduced the worms' energy reserves, demonstrating that microplastic ingestion imposes a measurable energetic cost that could affect growth, reproduction, and survival.

2013 Current Biology 1056 citations
Article Tier 2

Additives, plasticizers, small microplastics (<100 μm), and other microlitter components in the gastrointestinal tract of commercial teleost fish: Method of extraction, purification, quantification, and characterization using Micro-FTIR

Researchers developed a Micro-FTIR extraction and identification method for small microplastics (under 100 µm) and plastic additives in the gastrointestinal tracts of five commercial Mediterranean fish species, finding species-specific contamination patterns with anchovies and sardines showing the highest microplastic burdens.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of chemical elements and occurrence of microplastics in small pelagic fish from a neritic environment

Researchers examined chemical element accumulation and microplastic occurrence in small pelagic fish from coastal waters, contributing baseline data on contaminant exposure in mid-trophic level species that are often overlooked in pollution assessments.

2021 Environmental Pollution 35 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

Microplastics occurrence in edible fish species (Mullus barbatus and Merluccius merluccius) collected in three different geographical sub-areas of the Mediterranean Sea

Researchers examined the gastrointestinal tracts of 229 demersal fish from two Mediterranean species across three geographic sub-areas, finding microplastics in a significant portion of individuals with fibers as the dominant type. The study contributes to growing evidence that microplastic ingestion is widespread in commercially fished Mediterranean species.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 207 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion and diet composition of planktivorous fish

This study analyzed stomach contents of six planktivorous pelagic fish species from Atlanto-Iberian waters, finding microplastics in a substantial proportion of individuals. The relationship between microplastic ingestion and diet composition suggests that fish consuming prey similar in size to microplastics are at higher risk of ingestion.

2020 Limnology and Oceanography Letters 127 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of microplastics by pelagic fish from the Moroccan Central Atlantic coast

Researchers found microplastics in the stomachs of three small pelagic fish species caught along the Moroccan Central Atlantic coast, confirming plastic ingestion in commercially important species in a region where marine litter is predominantly plastic. The study adds to growing evidence of microplastic contamination in North African Atlantic fisheries.

2020 Environmental Pollution 62 citations