Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of Amazonian fish species with different feeding habits

Microplastics were found in the gastrointestinal tracts of multiple Amazonian fish species with different feeding habits from Lake Janauacá and the Anavilhanas Archipelago, with feeding strategy influencing ingestion rates—underscoring widespread microplastic contamination even in remote Amazon basin aquatic ecosystems.

2025 Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination of stream fish by plastic waste in the Brazilian Amazon

Researchers evaluated plastic contamination in small fish from Amazonian headwater streams in Brazil, finding widespread plastic pollution in these understudied tropical freshwater ecosystems and characterizing the shapes, sizes, and abundance of plastic items ingested.

2020 Environmental Pollution 96 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in fishes in amazon riverine beaches: Influence of feeding mode and distance to urban settlements

Researchers found microplastics in the digestive tracts of 29 fish species from Amazon riverine beaches, with contamination levels influenced by fish feeding mode and distance to urban settlements within a protected area.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Food ecology and presence of microplastic in the stomach content of neotropical fish in an urban river of the upper Paraná River Basin

Microplastics were found in the stomachs of multiple fish species in an urban Brazilian river, with ingestion rates linked to each species' feeding ecology. The findings confirm that microplastics have entered the freshwater food chain, raising concern about contamination reaching people who eat these fish.

2020 Ambiente e Agua - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

First evidence of microplastic ingestion by fishes from the Amazon River estuary

Researchers documented the first evidence of microplastic ingestion by fish in the Amazon River estuary, finding plastic particles — predominantly polyamide and polyethylene pellets — in 30% of 189 specimens across 14 species, with larger fish containing more particles, indicating widespread contamination extending into one of the world's most biodiverse river systems.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 317 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

Widespread microplastic ingestion by fish assemblages in tropical estuaries subjected to anthropogenic pressures

A survey of 2,233 fish from 69 species across two tropical Brazilian estuaries found microplastics in 9% of individuals, with ingestion rates linked to feeding guild, habitat use, and proximity to urban areas. The study demonstrates that microplastic ingestion is widespread even in tropical systems and is shaped by ecology rather than occurring at random.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 302 citations
Article Tier 2

Intake of microplastics by fishes in a floodplain lake of the Curiaú River (Macapá, Amapá, Brazil)

Researchers examined microplastic ingestion in fish from a floodplain lake of the Curiaú River in the Brazilian Amazon, finding microplastics in stomach, intestine, and gill samples with ingestion patterns reflecting both passive and active uptake during normal feeding behavior.

2025 Aquatic Sciences 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Does the trophic guild influence microplastic ingestion in nursery areas? A case study on a southwestern Atlantic mangrove-dominated estuary

Researchers analyzed microplastic ingestion in ten fish species from a mangrove-dominated estuary in Brazil's Tropical Atlantic, finding plastics in 61% of 145 specimens. Zooplanktivorous species ingested the most (averaging 2.33 MPs per individual), with polystyrene and polypropylene dominating.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Avaliando a poluição plástica em ecossistemas brasileiros: um estudo integrado da poluição em organismos e ambientes.

Researchers examined plastic ingestion by freshwater fish across 23 species in the Upper Parana River floodplain in Brazil, finding that nine species ingested plastics and that seasonality significantly influenced ingestion rates, with the highest levels recorded during dry season. The study also synthesized trends and gaps in Brazilian plastic pollution research, linking plastic contamination patterns to fishing activities, domestic waste, and anthropogenic pressures in aquatic ecosystems.

2024 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of plastic debris by commercially important marine fish in southeast-south Brazil

Scientists visually examined 965 specimens of eight commercially exploited fish species off the southeast-south coast of Brazil for plastic debris ingestion, finding plastic in multiple species across different marine habitats.

2020 Environmental Pollution 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of Plastics in a Wild Population of the Pacific Fat Sleeper (Dormitator latifrons)

This study documented plastic ingestion in the neotropical Pacific fat sleeper fish from an Ecuadorian wetland for the first time, finding plastics in 50% of individuals with an average of 30 particles per fish. Microplastics dominated the ingested plastic load, showing that wetland fish in South America are exposed to plastic pollution.

2023 Pacific Science
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence in fish species from the Iquitos region in Peru, western Amazonia

Researchers found microplastics in 15 commercial fish species from markets in the Peruvian Amazon, detecting 2,337 particles across 61 specimens — among the first reports of microplastic contamination in fish from the Amazon basin.

2023 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Diet composition and plastic ingestion in Poecilia reticulata from urban streams

Guppies living in urban streams in Brazil were found to contain microplastics alongside their normal diet of organic matter and insects, with plastic particles ranging from tiny fragments under half a millimeter to pieces over a centimeter long. The presence of plastics across a fish species that sits low on the food chain suggests potential for microplastic transfer up to larger predators and, ultimately, to humans.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence in fish species from the Iquitos region in Peru, western Amazonia

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in 61 fish from 15 commercial species in the Peruvian Amazon near Iquitos. The study found microplastics in 100% of sampled fish, with an average of 38.3 particles per individual detected across gills and internal organs, demonstrating that microplastic pollution has reached even remote areas of the western Amazon basin.

2023 Acta Amazonica 18 citations
Article Tier 2

First record of plastic ingestion by an important commercial native fish (Prochilodus lineatus) in the middle Tietê River basin, Southeast Brazil

Researchers documented the first record of plastic ingestion by Prochilodus lineatus in Brazilian fluvial ecosystems, finding that 71.88% of individuals sampled contained plastics in their digestive tracts, with significantly higher particle loads in fish from the polluted Tietê River versus a cleaner tributary.

2020 Biota Neotropica 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in siluriform fish sold in Itacoatiara (AM), Brazil

Researchers in Brazil found that more than 83% of two commercially sold catfish species (Pterygoplichthys pardalis and Hoplosternum littorale) collected from Amazonian floodplains were contaminated with microplastics, averaging about 2.7 particles per fish. The dominant particle types were fibers and fragments, pointing to textile and packaging waste as key sources. Because these fish are widely consumed locally, this study highlights a direct route through which microplastics enter the human diet in the Amazon region.

2023 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
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
Article Tier 2

Ingestão e efeitos morfofisiológicos dos microplásticos em espécies de peixes da Amazônia Central

This Brazilian thesis investigates microplastic ingestion and its effects on fish from the Amazon basin, one of the world's most biodiverse freshwater systems. Given that aquatic organisms in even remote areas are exposed to microplastics, the research highlights risks to Amazon fish diversity and the potential for microplastics to disrupt aquatic food webs in previously pristine ecosystems.

2022
Article Tier 2

Habitat Integrity and Microplastic Contamination in Amazonian Streams: Assessment of Water, Sediment, and Fish and Identification of Predominant Polymers

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in Amazonian streams by sampling water, sediment, and fish, and characterised predominant polymer types, finding that contamination was widespread across all environmental compartments regardless of habitat integrity, suggesting that even well-preserved stream habitats are not protected from microplastic pollution.

2025 Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Article Tier 2

Ecological traits do not predict the uptake of microplastics by fishes in a Neotropical River

Researchers found that nearly half (49%) of 101 fish examined from a Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest river contained microplastics in their organs, with PET fibers being predominant and blue fibers accounting for 91% of all particles. Importantly, neither trophic level, feeding strategy, nor habitat predicted which fish were most contaminated — individual size and species-specific traits were better predictors. Since 55% of the analyzed species are consumed by humans, the study raises direct concerns about microplastic transfer through the food chain to people.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of trophic overlaps and trophic niche amplitude on microplastic intake of fish species in shallow areas of a neotropical coastal lagoon

Researchers analyzed microplastic ingestion in six fish species from a coastal lagoon in Brazil and found that species sharing the same food sources tended to ingest similar amounts of microplastic fibers. Blue polyester fibers smaller than 0.05 mm were the most common type found, likely from textile pollution. Since fish dietary habits determine their microplastic intake, this affects which fish species accumulate more plastic particles and what ultimately ends up on people's plates.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Do feeding habits influence anthropogenic particle consumption in demersal fish in a tropical estuary? A study from the northern part of the Tropical Eastern Pacific

This study examined how feeding habits and trophic level influence microplastic ingestion in demersal fish from a tropical Mexican estuary, finding that feeding guild and trophic position both affected the type and quantity of anthropogenic particles consumed.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science
Article Tier 2

Study on the consumption of microplastics by fishes in a floodplain lake of the Curiaú River (Macapá – Amapá, Brazil)

Researchers studied microplastic consumption by fishes in a floodplain lake of the Curiaú River in Macapá, Amapá, Brazil, examining the types and quantities of plastic particles smaller than 5 mm ingested by fish species in this freshwater ecosystem. They found evidence that fish in this Amazonian floodplain lake ingest microplastics when available, documenting the penetration of plastic pollution into remote freshwater food webs.

2025