Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A Survey of Microplastics in Invertebrates in the Lake Champlain Basin

This study investigated microplastic ingestion by aquatic macroinvertebrates in the Lake Champlain basin, finding microplastics in multiple invertebrate species at various sites. The results confirm that microplastics have entered the base of the food web in this large North American freshwater lake.

2018
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in biotic and abiotic compartments of high-mountain lakes from Alps

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in two remote high-altitude lakes in the Italian Alps, finding plastic particles in lake sediments, tadpoles, and fish (but not in open water or zooplankton), with younger fish accumulating more microplastics than older ones — suggesting fish as useful pollution indicators even in pristine mountain environments.

2023 Ecological Indicators 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and other anthropogenic particles contamination and its potential trophic transfer in a tropical Andean reservoir, Colombia

Researchers sampled water, sediment, and multiple trophic levels of biota in a tropical Andean reservoir in Colombia, finding microplastics and other anthropogenic particles at every level and documenting evidence of trophic transfer from zooplankton through macroinvertebrates to fish.

2025 Repositorio CES
Article Tier 2

First insights into plastic and microplastic occurrence in biotic and abiotic compartments, and snow from a high-mountain lake (Carnic Alps)

This study provided first data on plastic and microplastic occurrence in both biotic and abiotic samples from high-mountain lakes on the Tibetan Plateau, one of the most remote freshwater ecosystems on Earth. Plastics larger than 5 mm and microplastics were found in lake water and biota, demonstrating that even pristine high-altitude freshwater systems are not free from plastic contamination.

2020 Chemosphere 132 citations
Article Tier 2

Evidence of microplastics in water and commercial fish from a high-altitude mountain lake (Lake Titicaca)

Researchers evaluated the presence of microplastics in both water samples and the stomach contents of four commercially fished species from Lago Menor of Lake Titicaca, a high-altitude ancient lake at 3,809 m above sea level on the Bolivia-Peru border, documenting microplastic contamination in this remote ecosystem.

2022 PeerJ 17 citations
Article Tier 2

The Migration and Pollution Risk of Microplastics in Water, Soil, Sediments, and Aquatic Organisms in the Caohai Watershed, Southwest China

Researchers investigated the full pathway of microplastic pollution through a plateau lake ecosystem in southwest China — from soil and water through sediments and into grass carp fish tissue. Microplastic concentrations varied widely across compartments, and fish tissues contained measurable amounts, confirming that these particles move through the food chain in high-altitude freshwater systems. The study is notable because plateau lakes receive less human activity but can still accumulate significant microplastic contamination.

2025 Water 1 citations
Article Tier 2

High-levels of microplastic pollution in a large, remote, mountain lake

Researchers discovered high levels of microplastic pollution in a large, remote mountain lake, finding concentrations comparable to lakes in densely populated areas, suggesting that atmospheric deposition can deliver substantial microplastic loads to even isolated environments.

2014 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1428 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in tropical lakes: water, zooplankton, and fish in Central Mexico

Researchers analyzed microplastic presence in water, zooplankton, and fish across two tropical lakes in central Mexico. The study found microplastics in all compartments including rotifers, microcrustaceans, and fish of the genus Chirostoma, providing evidence of microplastic transfer through freshwater food chains in tropical ecosystems.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Similarity of Microplastic Characteristics between Amphibian Larvae and Their Aquatic Environment

Researchers compared microplastic characteristics in amphibian larvae with those in their surrounding aquatic environment, finding similarities in size distribution and polymer types that confirm direct ingestion from water, providing a new bioindicator approach for freshwater microplastic monitoring.

2024 Animals 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating microplastic transport in remote ecosystems: High-mountain lakes of the western alps

Researchers investigated microplastic transport to and accumulation in high-mountain lakes in remote ecosystems, using atmospheric deposition measurements and lake sediment analysis. Even at elevations above human habitation, microplastics were deposited from the atmosphere, with concentrations tracking regional air circulation patterns.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics abundance in abiotic and biotic components along aquatic food chain in two freshwater ecosystems of Pakistan

Researchers quantified microplastic abundance across multiple trophic levels in two Pakistani freshwater ecosystems, finding evidence of bioaccumulation along the food chain from water and sediment through invertebrates to fish species.

2022 Chemosphere 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in remote alpine lakes

This abstract describes the PLASTILAC project, the first research initiative focused specifically on microplastic contamination in remote alpine lakes in France. The project aims to characterize microplastic sources, degradation pathways, and ecological impacts in high-altitude freshwater environments with minimal direct human activity.

2020 2 citations
Article Tier 2

High-mountain lakes as indicators of microplastic pollution: current and future perspectives

This review assessed microplastic pollution in high-mountain lakes, finding these remote ecosystems serve as valuable indicators of atmospheric microplastic transport and global contamination patterns despite limited research to date.

2022 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and other anthropogenic particles contamination and their potential trophic transfer in a tropical Andean reservoir, Colombia

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination across water, sediment, and aquatic organisms in a tropical Andean reservoir in Colombia, finding plastic particles present in all environmental compartments and at every level of the food chain studied. The most common particles were fibers and fragments made of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyester. The study provides evidence that microplastics are being transferred up through the food web in this freshwater ecosystem, from tiny crustaceans to fish.

2025 Hydrobiologia 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating microplastic transport in remote ecosystems: High-mountain lakes of the western alps

Researchers investigated microplastic transport in high-mountain lakes in a remote region, examining how atmospheric deposition and watershed processes deliver plastic particles to these sensitive and isolated ecosystems. Microplastics were detected in lake water and sediments, confirming that long-range atmospheric transport is a significant delivery pathway to remote alpine environments.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in lacustrine sediments in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Current status and transfer mechanisms

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in lacustrine sediments across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, finding abundances ranging from 17 to 2,644 items/kg dry weight and identifying atmospheric deposition and river transport as key transfer mechanisms to these remote high-altitude lakes.

2022 China Geology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic profusion in food and drinking water: are microplastics becoming a macroproblem?

This review examined the prevalence of microplastics in food and drinking water, assessing trophic transfer along the food web and evaluating whether microplastic contamination in human dietary sources constitutes a growing public health concern.

2022 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Stable Isotope Insights into Microplastic Contamination within Freshwater Food Webs

Stable isotope analysis was used to explore the relationship between trophic position and microplastic ingestion in freshwater macroinvertebrates and fish. The study found that trophic niche influenced microplastic accumulation patterns, with particles ranging from 700 micrometers to 5 mm quantified across taxa in the freshwater food web.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination and risk assessment in the biotic and abiotic components of freshwater Manasbal Lake, western Himalaya, India

Researchers assessed microplastic abundance and characteristics across abiotic and biotic compartments of Manasbal Lake in the western Himalayas, finding that MPs are pervasive even in remote mountain catchments and presenting risk assessment data for this understudied high-altitude freshwater ecosystem.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination and risk assessment in the biotic and abiotic components of freshwater Manasbal Lake, western Himalaya, India

Researchers assessed microplastic abundance and characteristics across abiotic and biotic compartments of Manasbal Lake in the western Himalayas, finding that MPs are pervasive even in remote mountain catchments and presenting risk assessment data for this understudied high-altitude freshwater ecosystem.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Evidence of microplastics in remote alpine lakes of the eLTER network

Researchers detected microplastics in two remote alpine lakes of the European Long-Term Ecological Research (eLTER) network, providing the first evidence of MP contamination in these high-altitude freshwater systems. Atmospheric deposition was identified as the likely transport pathway to these geographically isolated ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Research Communications
Article Tier 2

Uptake and Transfer of Polyamide Microplastics in a Freshwater Mesocosm Study

A freshwater mesocosm study tracked the trophic and ontogenetic transfer of polyamide microplastics through an aquatic food web under near-natural conditions, confirming that particles were transferred between prey and predators at multiple levels. The results demonstrate that microplastic transfer through food webs occurs in realistic community settings, not just isolated laboratory tests.

2022 Water 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination across trophic levels in a lowland spring watercourse of Northwestern Italy: New insights and biomonitoring implications

Microplastic contamination was measured across trophic levels (algae, invertebrates, fish) in a lowland river ecosystem, finding that concentrations increased in organisms at higher levels of the food web. The trophic transfer data suggest that microplastics bioaccumulate through freshwater food chains.

2025 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of a microplastic mixture differ across trophic levels and taxa in a freshwater food web: In situ mesocosm experiment

Researchers conducted the first in situ mesocosm experiment testing the effects of a microplastic mixture on a freshwater lake food web, spanning multiple trophic levels. The study found that microplastic effects varied across different organisms and trophic levels, providing important community-level evidence that laboratory findings may not fully predict how microplastics impact real aquatic ecosystems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 58 citations