Papers

20 results
|
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
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of microplastic prevalence and abundance in freshwater fish species: the effect of fish species habitat, feeding behavior, and Fulton’s condition factor

A meta-analysis of freshwater fish across 42 studies found an average of 2.35 microplastic items per individual, with 80% of research focused on the gastrointestinal tract and 58% on river environments. Contrary to expectations, microplastic ingestion correlated with fish body physiology (size and weight) rather than feeding behavior or habitat, suggesting physical characteristics determine uptake more than ecological niche.

2024 Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic in digestive tracts and gills of cod and herring from the Baltic Sea

Researchers found plastic particles in the digestive tracts and gills of Baltic Sea cod and herring, with ingestion rates and particle types differing between the two species, indicating widespread exposure of commercially important fish to plastic pollution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic density as a key factor in the presence of microplastic in the gastrointestinal tract of commercial fishes from Campeche Bay, Mexico

Researchers found microplastics in 316 particles across 240 gastrointestinal tracts from six commercially consumed fish species in Campeche Bay, Mexico, with average ingestion of 1.31 MPs per fish, and found that fish feeding in mid-water column tended to ingest denser polymer types reflecting their depth distribution.

2020 Environmental Pollution 106 citations
Article Tier 2

Fish size influences microplastic occurrence in target organs

Researchers examined whether fish body size affects microplastic occurrence in target organs, moving beyond gut content analysis to assess systemic tissue contamination. Larger fish contained more microplastics in their organs than smaller fish, suggesting size-dependent differences in cumulative lifetime exposure.

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

Plastic ingestion by pelagic and demersal fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea

Researchers examined gastrointestinal tracts of 290 North and Baltic Sea fish and detected plastic in 5.5% of individuals, with pelagic species like herring and mackerel ingesting plastic at three times the rate of bottom-dwelling cod and flounder, and polyethylene making up nearly 40% of identified polymer types.

2015 Marine Pollution Bulletin 618 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Intake, Its Biotic Drivers, and Hydrophobic Organic Contaminant Levels in the Baltic Herring

Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion and hydrophobic organic contaminant levels in Baltic herring along the Swedish west coast, finding microplastics in 22.3% of fish with large geographic variability, though no significant correlation was found between microplastic burden and contaminant concentrations in muscle tissue.

2019 Frontiers in Environmental Science 23 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

Microplastic ingestion by small coastal fish in the northern Baltic Sea, Finland

Researchers found microplastics in 9% of 424 small coastal fish examined in the northern Baltic Sea, with urban Helsinki sites showing the highest prevalence (27.5%), and no relationship found between fish size or species and microplastic ingestion, suggesting coastal urbanization as a key driver.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 35 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

Fish species, habitat, and capture location outweigh fish mass as drivers of microplastic pollution in Canadian Arctic fishes

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in 435 stomachs and gastrointestinal tracts of seven freshwater fish species from the Canadian Arctic. The study found that fish species, habitat type, and capture location were more important drivers of microplastic levels than fish size, with demersal species and those near larger human populations containing significantly more microplastics.

2026 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Fish size influences microplastic occurrence in target organs

Researchers tested whether fish body size predicts microplastic burden in organs beyond the gut, finding that larger fish accumulate more plastic in systemic tissues. The findings suggest that organ-level microplastic analysis provides a more complete picture of contamination than gut content surveys alone.

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

First insight into plastics ingestion by fish in the Gulf of California, Mexico

Researchers found that 50% of 1,095 fish examined from 13 species in a tropical estuarine system in the Gulf of California had ingested plastic particles, with all recovered particles being threads and most being small microplastic fibres.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 29 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

Low incidence of plastic ingestion among three fish species significant for human consumption on the island of Newfoundland, Canada

This study reported the first baselines of plastic ingestion in Atlantic cod, Atlantic salmon, and capelin from Newfoundland, Canada, finding a low but nonzero frequency of plastic ingestion in these commercially important fish. The data provides a starting point for tracking future changes in microplastic exposure in North Atlantic food fish.

2018 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and characterization of microplastic content in the digestive system of riverine fishes

Researchers found microplastics in 93.8% of riverine fish examined, with polystyrene, polyethylene, and nylon being the most common polymer types concentrated near urban and industrial areas, and small particles (0.025-1 mm) predominating across species.

2021 Journal of Environmental Management 32 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

A meta-analysis of the characterisations of plastic ingested by fish globally

This meta-analysis pools data from global studies to assess what types of plastic fish most commonly ingest, finding that microfibers and small fragments dominate across both freshwater and marine species. These findings are important for human health because widespread plastic ingestion by fish means that microplastics are likely present in much of the seafood consumed around the world.

2022
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and potential effects of plastic ingestion by pelagic and demersal fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea

Researchers examined the occurrence and potential effects of plastic ingestion in pelagic and bottom-dwelling fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea, finding plastics in both groups. The study contributed to baseline knowledge of microplastic ingestion rates in commercially important fish species in European seas.

2014 Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung (Alfred-Wegener-Institut) 7 citations
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

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