Papers

61,005 results
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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

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

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

Prevalence of microplastics in commonly consumed fish species of the river Old Brahmaputra, Bangladesh

Researchers found microplastics in nearly 59% of edible fish from Bangladesh's Old Brahmaputra river, with polyethylene fibers and pellets dominating, and ingestion rates linked to fish size, feeding behavior, and downstream location.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 39 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

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

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

First Evidence of Microplastic Ingestion by Riverine Fish From the Freshwater of Northwest Peninsular Malaysia

Researchers found microplastics in the guts of multiple fish species from two rivers in northwest Malaysia, with some species averaging nearly 50 microplastic particles per gram of body weight. The dominant particles were fibers and fragments of polyethylene and polypropylene — findings that signal widespread contamination of freshwater food sources and raise concerns about human exposure through fish consumption.

2024 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 2 citations
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

Large-scale monitoring and risk assessment of microplastics in the Amazon River

Researchers conducted the largest microplastic monitoring study in the Amazon River, sampling 40 sites across 1,500 kilometers. Microplastics were found everywhere, with urban streams near cities showing concentrations up to 1,000 times higher than the main river. This study confirms that even remote freshwater ecosystems like the Amazon are contaminated with microplastics, which could affect the fish and water that local communities depend on.

2023 Water Research 112 citations
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

Characterization and enumeration of microplastic pollution in three fish species of the Upper Mississippi River

Researchers found 891 microplastic particles across 281 fish from three species in the Upper Mississippi River, with fibers being the most common type and smaller fish containing proportionally more microplastics than larger ones. This confirms microplastic ingestion is widespread in freshwater fish — not just marine species — and the presence of styrene-isoprene, polyester, and ABS polymers highlights the diverse plastic sources contaminating major river systems.

2023 Minds at UW (University of Wisconsin)
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

Occurrence and amount of microplastic ingested by fishes in watersheds of the Gulf of Mexico

Researchers quantified microplastic ingestion by fishes across several freshwater and estuarine watersheds of the Gulf of Mexico. The study documented widespread microplastic occurrence in fish from these environments, contributing important data about freshwater contamination at a time when most research had focused on marine ecosystems.

2015 Marine Pollution Bulletin 307 citations
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

The pervasiveness of microplastic contamination in the gastrointestinal tract of fish from the western coast of Bangladesh

Researchers found microplastics in every individual fish examined from the western coast of Bangladesh, with an average of 7.1 particles per specimen, and demersal species accumulating more microplastics than pelagic species near the world's largest mangrove ecosystem.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 39 citations
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

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
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

Prevalence of microplastic contamination in the digestive tract of fishes from mangrove ecosystem in Cispata, Colombian Caribbean

Scientists examined the digestive tracts of fish from mangrove ecosystems in Cispata, Colombian Caribbean, finding microplastics in multiple species and suggesting that mangrove habitats concentrate microplastic pollution in ways that expose fish inhabiting these nursery areas.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 114 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

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 account of plastic pollution impacting freshwater fishes in the Amazon: Ingestion of plastic debris by piranhas and other serrasalmids with diverse feeding habits

Researchers found the first evidence of plastic ingestion by freshwater Amazonian fish, with about one quarter of 172 serrasalmid specimens (piranhas and relatives) across 16 species having consumed plastic particles of 12 polymer types — and notably, plastic ingestion occurred across all feeding guilds (herbivores, omnivores, carnivores) with no difference in frequency by diet.

2018 Environmental Pollution 216 citations
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