Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Using the Asian clam as an indicator of microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems

Researchers proposed the Asian clam as a bioindicator species for monitoring microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems, building on prior findings of high contamination rates in these organisms. Using a widely distributed filter feeder as a sentinel species could help standardize freshwater microplastic monitoring the way mussels are used in marine settings.

2017 Environmental Pollution 445 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of microplastics in bivalves within the Chandragiri River in South-Western India

This study investigated microplastic accumulation in bivalves from the Chandragiri River in South-Western India. Researchers found that these filter-feeding organisms had accumulated microplastics of various types and sizes, underscoring the capacity of bivalves to serve as bioindicators for monitoring microplastic pollution in river ecosystems.

2024 Anthropocene Coasts 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Bivalves with potential for monitoring microplastics in South America

Researchers tested three South American mussel species and found that all of them accumulated microplastics in their tissues, feces, and pseudofeces, suggesting these bivalves can serve as reliable bioindicators — living monitors — for microplastic contamination in coastal waterways.

2021 Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Microsynthetics in waters of the South American Pantanal

Researchers sampled microplastics from water courses, lakes, and floodplains across 16 locations in the South American Pantanal wetland using plankton nets, documenting microplastic contamination in one of the world's largest tropical freshwater ecosystems.

2022 Frontiers in Environmental Science 2 citations
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

Tracking the micro- and nanoplastics in the terrestrial-freshwater food webs. Bivalves as sentinel species

Researchers tracked the transfer of micro- and nanoplastics through an experimental terrestrial-freshwater food chain involving earthworms, freshwater mussels, and predatory fish. The study found evidence of trophic transfer of plastic particles across species, with bivalves serving as effective sentinel organisms for monitoring plastic contamination in freshwater ecosystems.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Review Tier 2

Influence of microplastics on freshwater bivalves (review)

This review synthesized knowledge on how microplastics affect freshwater bivalves, covering ingestion, tissue accumulation, physiological stress responses, and reproductive impacts. Bivalves are shown to be sensitive bioindicators of microplastic contamination in rivers and lakes.

2024 Биология внутренних вод 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics, Additives, and Plasticizers in Freshwater Bivalves: Preliminary Research of Biomonitoring

Freshwater mussels (Anodonta cygnea) deployed in three Italian rivers accumulated microplastics primarily in their gills and digestive tracts, with polyamide (nylon) fibers being the most common type found. The study also detected plasticizers and additives within the bivalves, demonstrating that these organisms can serve as effective sentinels for monitoring the full chemical footprint of plastic pollution in river systems.

2023 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Bivalve Mollusks as Biological Monitoring of Microplastic: A Review of Anadara antiquata and Gafrarium sp. in Indonesia

This Indonesian review examines two bivalve species (Anadara antiquata and Gafrarium sp.) as biological monitors of coastal microplastic contamination, synthesizing evidence that these filter feeders accumulate microplastics from seawater and serve as reliable sentinels for pollution in Indonesian coastal ecosystems.

2025 International Journal of Science and Research Archive
Review Tier 2

Peran Organisme Sessile Sebagai Bioindikator Mikroplastik Di Ekosistem Pesisir: Systematic Literature Review

This systematic literature review synthesizes evidence on how sessile coastal organisms — particularly bivalves like mussels and oysters — accumulate microplastics through their filter-feeding behavior, making them useful biological indicators of contamination. The review found that fibers dominate across most species and locations, and that polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET are the most common polymer types. Because these organisms are widely consumed by humans and are sensitive to environmental changes, they serve as both ecological sentinels and a potential pathway for microplastic exposure in human diets.

2026 Jurnal Biogenerasi
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in bivalve molluscs Anomalocardia flexuosa captured in Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil

Researchers documented microplastic contamination in bivalve molluscs (Anomalocardia flexuosa) from estuaries in northeastern Brazil, finding widespread presence of microplastics in shellfish consumed by traditional communities, raising concerns about human dietary exposure.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in the South American Pantanal

Researchers sampled microplastics in the affluents and floodplains of the South American Pantanal wetland ecosystem, documenting this emerging threat to one of the world's largest tropical floodplains near urban pollution sources and in remote lowland areas.

2021 Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in rocky shore mollusks of different feeding habits: An assessment of sentinel performance

Researchers examined microplastic levels in three types of rocky shore mollusks with different feeding habits along a pollution gradient in Brazil. Filter-feeding oysters accumulated the most microplastics, followed by plant-eating limpets and meat-eating snails, suggesting that how an animal feeds affects how much plastic it ingests. The study proposes that all three species could serve as useful sentinel organisms for monitoring microplastic contamination in coastal areas.

2024 Environmental Pollution 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in bivalves: First assessment in three coastal lagoons of the colombian caribbean, south america

Researchers conducted the first assessment of microplastic contamination in bivalves from three coastal lagoons, examining filter-feeding mollusks that concentrate suspended particles from surrounding waters. Microplastics were detected in bivalve tissues across all sites, establishing baseline contamination levels in these coastal ecosystems.

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

Microplastics in a mosaic of Marine Protected Areas from southeastern Brazil: An assessment based on filter-feeding bivalves

Researchers used filter-feeding bivalves as biological monitors to assess microplastic contamination across 28 marine protected areas along a heavily populated stretch of coastline in southeastern Brazil. They found microplastics in bivalves from all sites surveyed, demonstrating that protected status alone does not shield marine areas from plastic pollution. The study highlights how diffuse, transboundary plastic contamination reaches even designated conservation zones.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1 citations
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

Microplastic contamination in bivalves: First assessment in three coastal lagoons of the colombian caribbean, south america

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in bivalves from three coastal lagoons, finding that filter-feeding species readily accumulate particles from surrounding water and sediment. The study characterized particle types and polymer compositions across different lagoon environments.

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

Bivalves as Biological Sieves: Bioreactivity Pathways of Microplastics and Nanoplastics

This review examines how filter-feeding bivalves like mussels and oysters process and accumulate microplastics and nanoplastics of different sizes. Researchers found that larger particles pass through relatively quickly in feces, while smaller microplastics and nanoplastics tend to accumulate in digestive tissues and immune cells with longer retention times, making bivalves valuable bioindicators of plastic pollution.

2021 Biological Bulletin 51 citations
Article Tier 2

title.alternative

This review examines microplastic contamination in coastal and marine environments, focusing on bivalves as sentinel organisms due to their filter-feeding behavior and widespread use as human food, synthesizing evidence on physiological damage across aquatic species and ecological risks from plastic particle transfer through food chains.

2022 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

First Record of Microplastic Contamination in the Non-Native Dark False Mussel Mytilopsis leucophaeata (Bivalvia: Dreissenidae) in a Coastal Urban Lagoon

Researchers documented microplastic contamination for the first time in the invasive dark false mussel in a coastal lagoon in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Microplastics were found in all mussel samples, with fibers and fragments being the most common types, and thirteen different polymer types were identified. The study suggests this widespread filter-feeding species could serve as a useful bioindicator for monitoring microplastic pollution in coastal waters.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Asian clam Corbicula fluminea as potential biomonitor of microplastics and metal(oid)s in a Patagonian River

Researchers examined the Asian clam as a potential biological indicator of microplastic pollution in a Patagonian river and found microplastics in the soft tissues of all sampled clams. Fibers were the dominant type detected, suggesting textile-related contamination sources. The study suggests that these widely distributed clams could serve as effective biological monitors for tracking microplastic and metal pollution in freshwater ecosystems.

2024 Marine Environmental Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of the Effects of Environmental Concentrations of Microplastics on the Aquatic Snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum

Researchers examined the effects of environmentally relevant microplastic concentrations on the freshwater snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum, assessing impacts on this benthic invertebrate in an understudied freshwater ecosystem context.

2021 Water Air & Soil Pollution 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in natural mussel beds from a Brazilian urbanized coastal region: Rapid evaluation through bioassessment

Researchers used the mussel Perna perna as a bioindicator to assess microplastic contamination in the Santos estuary, Brazil's most urbanized coastal region. The study found that 75% of sampled mussels had ingested microplastics, providing a rapid bioassessment method and raising concerns about both environmental and human health implications in this heavily populated area.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 232 citations
Article Tier 2

Oyster as sentinels of recent microplastic contamination: Insights from a transplant experiment

Researchers used oyster transplantation experiments to study how microplastics accumulate and are excreted in sentinel organisms under field-realistic conditions. The study found that bivalves can serve as effective biomonitors of recent microplastic contamination in coastal ecosystems. The findings help fill knowledge gaps about the dynamics of microplastic uptake and clearance in marine filter feeders.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin