Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal and vertical distribution characteristics and ecological risks of microplastics in typical shallow lakes in northern China

Researchers studied how microplastics are distributed across water, the viscous sublayer, and sediment layers in Baiyangdian, a shallow lake in northern China, during both wet and dry seasons. They found that microplastic abundance was highest in residential areas and that the vertical distribution pattern reversed between seasons. The study highlights that seasonal water level changes significantly affect where microplastics accumulate in shallow lake ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

[Occurrence Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Microplastics in Surface Water, Sediments, and Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Huangbai River].

This Chinese study examined microplastic contamination across water, sediment, and bottom-dwelling invertebrates in the Huangbai River, finding widespread pollution at all levels. On average, each invertebrate contained roughly 2 microplastic particles, mostly fiber-shaped and under 500 micrometers. The feeding behavior of different invertebrate groups — whether they filter water, shred debris, or scrape surfaces — influenced how many microplastics they accumulated, showing that diet and ecology shape exposure. The findings demonstrate that microplastics are moving through freshwater food webs, not just sitting in the water or sediment.

2025 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonality can override the effects of anthropogenic activities on microplastic presence in invertebrate deposit feeders in an urban river system

Researchers investigated how anthropogenic land use and seasonality influence internal microplastic concentrations in midge larvae across an urban river watershed in Taiwan, finding that seasonality overrode land-use effects and that agricultural activity had a significant negative nonlinear relationship with microplastic accumulation.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonal variation and ecological risk assessment of microplastics ingested by economic fishes in Lake Chaohu, China

Researchers examined seasonal variation in microplastic concentrations in economic fish species from Lake Chaohu, China, finding differences between wet and dry seasons and assessing the ecological risk of microplastic contamination in freshwater fisheries.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution characteristics of microplastics and corresponding feeding habits of the dominant shrimps in the rivers of Chongming Island

Researchers investigated spatial-temporal distribution of microplastics in rivers and dominant shrimp species on Chongming Island, revealing correlations between microplastic contamination patterns and shrimp feeding habits.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in invertebrates on soft shores in Hong Kong: Influence of habitat, taxa and feeding mode

Researchers surveyed microplastic occurrence in 38 invertebrate species across 18 mudflats and sandy beaches in Hong Kong, finding that feeding mode and habitat type were stronger predictors of microplastic ingestion than taxonomic group, with suspension feeders in mudflat environments showing the highest contamination. The study provides a broad baseline for microplastic uptake across coastal invertebrate communities.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 98 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics accumulation in functional feeding guilds and functional habit groups of freshwater macrobenthic invertebrates: Novel insights in a riverine ecosystem

Microplastics were found across functional feeding groups and habitat types of freshwater macroinvertebrates in an Italian river, with collector-gatherers and sediment-dwelling species showing higher contamination, confirming that dietary and behavioral ecology shapes microplastic exposure patterns in invertebrate communities.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 93 citations
Article Tier 2

Sediment trapping – An attempt to monitor temporal variation of microplastic flux rates in aquatic systems

Researchers tested sediment trapping as a tool to monitor temporal variation in microplastic influx in an urban boreal lake, conducting a one-year monitoring program that revealed differences in microplastic flux rates between growing season and winter periods including a spring flood event.

2021 Environmental Pollution 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic loads within riverine fishes and macroinvertebrates are not predictable from ecological or morphological characteristics

Researchers measured microplastic loads in riverine fish and macroinvertebrates and found that particle counts were not reliably predicted by species ecology or morphology, suggesting that individual variation and local environmental factors play a larger role in microplastic ingestion than feeding guild or habitat alone.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-selective microplastic uptake by freshwater organisms: Fish, mussel, and zooplankton

Researchers assessed microplastic ingestion by organisms at different trophic levels in the polluted Susurluk River Basin in Turkey, including zooplankton, mussels, and fish. The study found that while no microplastic ingestion was observed in zooplankton, both mussels and fish contained microplastics, with size-selective uptake patterns varying across organism types.

2023 Environmental Pollution 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution and migration in soil, water and sediments in Caohai Lake under the different hydrological periods, Southwest China

Researchers investigated microplastic distribution in soil, water, and sediments of Caohai Lake in southwest China during dry and wet seasons. They found that all environmental compartments were contaminated with microplastics, with particle types and abundance varying between hydrological periods. The study suggests that seasonal water level changes influence how microplastics migrate and distribute across lake ecosystems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of monsoon on microplastic bioavailability and ingestion by zooplankton in tropical coastal waters of Sabah

Researchers measured seasonal variation in microplastic concentrations and zooplankton ingestion of microplastics in Sepanggar Bay, Malaysia, finding that monsoon-driven environmental changes significantly affect both microplastic bioavailability and uptake by zooplankton in tropical coastal waters.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Using aquatic insects as indicators of microplastic pollution in rice field ecosystems

Researchers used aquatic insect communities as bioindicators of microplastic pollution in rice field ecosystems, comparing insect diversity and abundance across fields with different levels of plastic contamination. Insect assemblages responded sensitively to microplastic loads, demonstrating their potential as low-cost monitoring tools.

2024 Ecologica Montenegrina 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and characteristics of microplastics in 16 benthic organisms in Haizhou Bay, China: Influence of habitat, feeding habits and trophic level

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in 16 species of bottom-dwelling marine organisms in Haizhou Bay, China, and found plastics in every species tested, averaging about 9 particles per individual. The type of habitat, feeding strategy, and position in the food chain all influenced how much microplastic each species accumulated. The study confirms that benthic organisms are reliable indicators of microplastic pollution and that contamination is at a moderately high level by international standards.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Variability in the drivers of microplastic consumption by fish across four lake ecosystems

Researchers examined microplastic consumption by three fish species across four lakes in Minnesota and found that ingestion rates varied by species and feeding strategy. Filter-feeding fish consumed microplastics at rates that matched local water contamination levels, while visual feeders did not show the same pattern. The findings indicate that a fish's feeding behavior plays a major role in determining its microplastic exposure.

2024 Frontiers in Earth Science 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of feeding biology and diet-associated microplastic contamination in selected creek fishes of northeastern Arabian Sea: A multi-species approach

Researchers studied the feeding biology and diet-associated microplastic contamination of selected fish species, finding that feeding habits directly influence the quantity and type of microplastics ingested. The results demonstrate that trophic position and prey preferences are key predictors of microplastic exposure in wild fish.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 11 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of habitat preference and feeding strategy on exposure to microplastic pollution in freshwater fish species

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in water, sediment, and four commercially important fish species from the Yamula Reservoir in Turkiye. They found that bottom-feeding carp had the highest microplastic burden, while surface-feeding fish had the lowest, indicating that habitat and feeding behavior strongly influence exposure. The most common polymer found was polypropylene, and the study highlights reservoirs as understudied but significantly affected ecosystems.

2024 Chemosphere 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of microplastics in surface water of typical shallow lake in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River: A case study of Lake Baoan, Hubei Province

A seasonal sampling campaign at Lake Baoan, a shallow Yangtze River basin lake in China, found an average microplastic abundance of about 16 particles per litre in surface water, with fibers making up 40% of particles and polyethylene the dominant polymer. Microplastic concentrations peaked in winter and were lowest in summer, but showed no significant correlation with conventional water-quality indicators — suggesting that standard water-quality monitoring will miss microplastic contamination.

2024 Journal of Lake Sciences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic load of benthic fauna in Jiaozhou Bay, China

This study quantified microplastic load in benthic fauna from Jiaozhou Bay in China, finding that multiple invertebrate species ingested microplastics with concentrations influenced by feeding mode, habitat depth, and proximity to human activity, helping clarify factors controlling microplastic distribution in marine benthos.

2023 Environmental Pollution 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonal variation and risk assessment of microplastics in surface water of the Manas River Basin, China

Researchers investigated seasonal variations in microplastic pollution across the Manas River Basin in China, sampling surface water during different seasons. They found that microplastic abundance varied significantly by season and location, with higher concentrations linked to agricultural runoff and urban discharge. The study provides a risk assessment framework for understanding how seasonal factors influence microplastic contamination in inland freshwater systems.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 246 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and diversity of microplastics along the aquatic food web in the largest mangrove reserve of China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination across the food web in China's largest natural mangrove reserve, examining fish, crabs, shrimp, and bivalves. They found that fish contained the most microplastics, and that organisms feeding indiscriminately accumulated more plastic particles than selective feeders. The study introduces a microplastic diversity index that reveals surprisingly complex contamination patterns across different species and trophic levels in mangrove ecosystems.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in riverine fish is connected to species traits

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in fish and surface waters from three Lake Michigan tributaries and found that a fish's feeding behavior — particularly bottom-feeding — was a stronger predictor of microplastic ingestion than the local water concentration. Round goby bottom-feeders had the highest microplastic loads, suggesting that food web position plays a key role in how microplastics accumulate in freshwater fish.

2018 Scientific Reports 372 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Different Tissues of Five Common Fishes from Yuehai Lake: Accumulation, Characterization, and Contamination Assessment

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in the gills and digestive tracts of five fish species from a Chinese lake, finding that fish eating a wider variety of foods accumulated more particles. Different plastic polymer types dominated in different tissues, confirming that microplastics move through freshwater food webs and reach fish that humans consume.

2025 Malaysian Journal of Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Distinct microplastic patterns in the sediment and biota of an urban stream

Researchers found distinct microplastic contamination patterns between sediments and aquatic biota in an urban stream, with sediments accumulating more particles while biota showed selective uptake based on particle size and shape, highlighting the complex dynamics of microplastic distribution in urban freshwater systems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 35 citations