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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics in full view: Birds as bioindicators of Malta's coastal ecosystem health
ClearBirds as Bioindicators: Revealing the Widespread Impact of Microplastics
This systematic review found microplastics in over 200 bird species across the globe, from Antarctica to South Europe. Birds can suffer gut damage, oxidative stress, and toxic chemical buildup from ingesting plastics — a warning sign for broader ecosystem and food chain contamination that could affect humans too.
Birds as bioindicators of plastic pollution in terrestrial and freshwater environments: A 30-year review
This 30-year review of 106 studies examines how birds in freshwater and land environments are affected by plastic pollution. Most research has focused on larger plastic pieces, while microplastic exposure in these bird species is understudied and nanoplastic exposure has not been investigated at all. The authors urge researchers to develop standardized methods for measuring small plastic particles in birds, which could serve as valuable warning signs of plastic pollution across ecosystems.
Microplastics presence in wild bird species through an environmental forensic lens
This study examined microplastic presence in wild bird species using an environmental forensics approach, finding plastic particles across multiple bird taxa in ecosystems ranging from urban to remote. The results highlight wild birds as both sentinels of and victims of plastic pollution.
Microplastic accumulation in various bird species in Turkey
Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in 12 bird species in Turkey, providing the first data of its kind for the country. They found microplastics in all species examined, with variations in particle types and concentrations across different birds. The study contributes to the growing evidence that microplastic pollution affects wildlife across diverse habitats and feeding strategies.
Bioindicators for monitoring marine litter ingestion and its impacts on Mediterranean biodiversity
Researchers reviewed existing knowledge of marine litter ingestion impacts on Mediterranean biodiversity and proposed a new integrated monitoring framework using bioindicator species, identifying major knowledge gaps in understudied habitats and sub-regions while outlining a threefold approach to simultaneously measure plastic presence and its sub-lethal effects on organisms.
The potential use of birds as bioindicators of suspended atmospheric microplastics and artificial fibers
Researchers examined two aerial bird species, the Common House Martin and Common Swift, as potential bioindicators of atmospheric microplastic pollution. They found microplastics and artificial fibers in both the digestive and respiratory systems of the birds, suggesting these airborne-feeding species are regularly exposed to suspended plastic particles. The study proposes that monitoring microplastics in aerial birds could provide valuable data on atmospheric plastic contamination levels.
Characterization of plastic ingestion in urban gull chicks and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities
Researchers examined the stomach contents of 56 yellow-legged gull chicks in Barcelona and found microplastics in 100% of the birds, with larger plastic pieces in about 20%. The chicks ingested plastics from their urban coastal environment, mostly fragments and fibers from common consumer plastics. This study shows how urban wildlife can serve as indicators of plastic pollution levels and highlights the widespread contamination of coastal food webs that humans also depend on.
Organ-level translocation and tissue-specific accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics in wild birds
Researchers quantified micro- and nanoplastic burdens across six tissues in ten wild bird species and found that smaller-bodied birds carried higher plastic loads. Nanoplastics showed greater ability to move into internal organs than larger microplastics, and plastic particles were detected in the brain, blood, lungs, and muscle tissue. The study suggests that blood plastic levels could serve as a proxy for internal organ contamination and positions wild birds as potential bioindicators for plastic pollution.
The use of European shag pellets as indicators of microplastic fibers in the marine environment
Synthetic fibers were found in pellets regurgitated by European shag seabirds in northern Spain, providing a non-lethal method for monitoring microplastic pollution in coastal marine environments. Seabird pellets could serve as a low-cost, repeatable indicator of local microplastic contamination.
Exposure to microplastics by pelagic and coastal seabirds from temperate and tropical environments
Researchers examined microplastic exposure in pelagic and coastal seabird species from temperate and tropical marine environments, using the birds' broad spatial distribution and feeding behavior to assess microplastic distribution and concentration patterns across oceanic regions.
Assessing microplastic and nanoplastic contamination in bird lungs: evidence of ecological risks and bioindicator potential
Researchers examined the lungs of 51 bird species and found microplastics in all of them, averaging over 400 particles per gram of lung tissue, with nanoplastics also detected in five species tested. Birds may serve as early warning indicators of airborne plastic pollution, and the widespread contamination of their lungs suggests that humans breathing the same air face similar exposure risks.
Tracing microplastics in environmental sources and migratory shorebirds along the Central Asian Flyway
Researchers tracked microplastic contamination along migratory bird routes in central Asia, testing mudflats, mangroves, and the birds themselves. They found microplastics in both the environment and the digestive tracts of shorebirds, showing that these pollutants are moving through coastal food webs and may be carried across continents by migrating birds.
Characterization of Plastics Ingested by the Bioindicator Cory’s Shearwater from Tenerife Island (Canary Islands): Implications for Marine Environmental Monitoring
Researchers characterised 674 plastic items found in the stomachs of Cory's shearwater fledglings from the Canary Islands, finding that ingested plastics were predominantly large microplastics (1-5 mm, 82%) with threadlike morphology, and that the birds serve as effective bioindicators of marine plastic pollution in the eastern Atlantic.
Microplastics in Global Marine Waters and Biota: Effectiveness of Potential Bioindicators in Mirroring Local Pollution Levels
This review assessed the global occurrence of microplastics in marine waters and biota and evaluated the effectiveness of potential bioindicator species for monitoring plastic pollution. The authors find that standardizing bioindicator protocols is essential for tracking the effectiveness of microplastic mitigation efforts.
Bioaccumulation of Microplastics in Thrushes: Analysis for Monitoring Environmental Quality by Comparing Different and Innovative Extraction Techniques
Researchers developed and compared two innovative, cost-effective microplastic extraction techniques for thrush bird tissue, using birds as bioindicators to monitor environmental microplastic contamination through bioaccumulation analysis.
Microplastic contamination in the pellets of the Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) as terrestrial bioindicators across contrasting landscapes in Türkiye
Researchers examined regurgitated pellets from Egyptian vultures across two regions of Türkiye and found microplastics in 93% of them, with fibers and PET (the plastic in drink bottles) being the most common types. The findings suggest these endangered birds can serve as living monitors for land-based microplastic pollution, reflecting contamination moving through the food chain.
Birds and plastic pollution: recent advances
This review summarizes how plastic pollution affects birds across both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, covering ingestion, entanglement, and chemical exposure from macro- and microplastics. Researchers found that hundreds of bird species have accumulated plastic in their tissues, with effects ranging from physical injury to hormonal disruption and reproductive harm. The study positions birds as valuable indicator species for monitoring the broader environmental impact of plastic pollution.
Plastic pollution in a special protected area for migratory birds
This study measured plastic pollution — including microplastics — in a special protected area designated for migratory birds, finding widespread contamination despite the area's protected status. The presence of plastics poses ingestion and entanglement risks to bird species that rely on the habitat.
High microplastic pollution in birds of urban waterbodies revealed by non-invasively collected faecal samples
Researchers analyzed bird droppings from urban freshwater habitats in Germany and found microplastic particles, mainly fibers, in 98% of samples across all species studied. The pollution levels were substantially higher than those reported in other freshwater bird studies, likely reflecting the heavy contamination of urban waterways. Since all the investigated species are at least partially migratory, the findings suggest birds may transport microplastics over long distances.
Urban waterbirds shifting microplastics
Researchers found microplastics in the feces of two urban waterbird species in Kerala, India, with polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene being the most common types. Both juvenile and adult birds were affected equally, suggesting that waterbirds can transport microplastics through ecosystems and serve as indicators of local plastic waste levels in freshwater environments.