Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Abundance, composition, and potential intake of microplastics in canned fish

Researchers examined canned tuna and mackerel products for microplastic contamination and found plastic particles present in all samples tested. Fibers were the most common particle type, and polymer analysis identified materials consistent with packaging components. The study estimates potential human microplastic intake from canned fish consumption and highlights the need for further investigation into how processing and packaging contribute to seafood contamination.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 213 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Fish and Seafood Species

This chapter reviews microplastic contamination in fish and seafood species, including how plastics enter seafood through wild capture and aquaculture pathways. Because seafood is widely consumed globally, microplastics in fish and shellfish represent a direct route of human dietary exposure.

2022 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as contaminants in commercially important seafood species

This review summarizes evidence that microplastic ingestion is widespread in commercially important seafood species including mollusks, crustaceans, and fish. Evidence indicates that microplastics can affect physiology, reproductive success, and survival in marine organisms, and may also act as vectors for chemical pollutants. The study highlights the potential for human exposure to microplastics through seafood consumption, though the full health implications remain to be determined.

2017 Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 266 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure of U.S. adults to microplastics from commonly-consumed proteins

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in 16 commonly consumed protein products in the United States, including seafoods, terrestrial meats, and plant-based proteins at three levels of processing. Microplastics were detected across all protein categories, with highly processed products generally containing more particles than minimally processed ones.

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

Microplastic risks in the seafood in terms of food safety and their research methods

Microplastics and nanoplastics accumulate in aquatic organisms including fish, shellfish, and marine mammals, and can transfer into the human food supply through seafood. This review summarizes the health risks and detection methods used to identify microplastics in seafood, noting that some food processing steps may also introduce contamination.

2020 AQUATIC RESEARCH 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in marine organism

This review examines microplastic contamination in marine organisms, systematically cataloguing data from the literature on particle counts and concentrations found in fish and other marine species. The study highlights the ecological significance of microplastic ingestion given that humans occupy the top of the marine food chain and are consequently exposed through seafood consumption.

2024 Juraj Dobrila University of Pula Digital Repository
Article Tier 2

Uncovering microplastics contamination in canned seafood

Researchers tested multiple types of canned seafood and found microplastic contamination in every single product examined, with an average of 3.5 particles per can. Octopus in tomato sauce and tuna in olive oil had the highest contamination levels, and polyester fibers were the most common type found. This study identifies canned seafood as yet another pathway through which people are regularly consuming microplastics, with contamination potentially introduced during the processing and canning stages.

2024 Food Chemistry 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Research progress on the pollution status and their detection methods of microplastics in aquatic products

This review covered the prevalence of microplastic contamination in aquatic products (fish, shellfish, crustaceans) and the analytical methods used for their detection and quantification. The authors emphasized that aquatic food consumption is a direct route of microplastic exposure for humans and called for standardized detection protocols.

2025 Chinese Journal of Chromatography
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nano-plastic contamination in foods and potential risk to human health

This review summarizes the current state of knowledge about micro- and nanoplastic contamination in food, covering sources, occurrence, and analytical detection methods. Researchers found that while various foods, especially seafood, contain measurable levels of microplastics, the health risks to humans remain difficult to assess due to inconsistent research methods. The study calls for standardized approaches to better evaluate dietary exposure and potential health impacts.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Marine Environment: Occurrence, Distribution, and Extraction Methods in Marine Organisms

This review summarized the occurrence, distribution, and extraction methods of microplastics in marine organisms, highlighting how these particles enter marine food webs through runoff and atmospheric deposition and pose risks to ecosystems and human health.

2023 Open Journal of Ecology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure of U.S. adults to microplastics from commonly-consumed proteins

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in 16 protein foods purchased in the US, including seafoods, meats, and plant-based products at different processing levels. Microplastics were detected across all protein categories, with processing level influencing contamination amounts.

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

Microplastics in the Food Chain

This preprint reviews how microplastics enter and move through the food chain, from environmental sources to human consumption through seafood and other contaminated foods. The paper highlights the need for greater awareness of microplastic exposure through everyday diet.

2022 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics (MPs) in marine food chains: Is it a food safety issue?

This review examined the presence and transfer of microplastics through marine food chains, assessing food safety risks from contaminated seafood and highlighting the ability of microplastics to sorb and leach chemical contaminants that may impact human health.

2022 Advances in food and nutrition research 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in fillets of Mediterranean seafood. A risk assessment study

Researchers analyzed fillets of several common Mediterranean seafood species for microplastic contamination and estimated the associated human dietary exposure. They detected microplastics in the edible tissue of all species tested, including sardines, sea bream, and mussels. The study provides risk estimates suggesting that regular seafood consumption represents a notable pathway for human microplastic ingestion.

2021 Environmental Research 101 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, sources and potential human health risk of microplastics in seafood species

Researchers measured microplastic occurrence in seafood products available in local markets, identifying plastics in multiple species including fish, shrimp, and bivalves, and estimated potential human dietary intake based on consumption data. The study found that seafood lovers could ingest thousands of microplastic particles per year through regular consumption, with shellfish representing the highest per-serving exposure.

2024 Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version)
Article Tier 2

Marine microplastic debris: An emerging issue for food security, food safety and human health

This review examines the evidence for microplastic contamination in seafood and discusses what it means for food security and human health. Researchers found that microplastics have been detected in commercially important fish and shellfish species worldwide, but the actual health risks to humans from consuming contaminated seafood remain poorly understood. The study identifies critical knowledge gaps and calls for standardized methods to better assess the dietary exposure and potential toxicity of microplastics.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1489 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Fish and Fishery Products and Risks for Human Health: A Review

This review summarizes existing research on microplastic contamination in fish and seafood products and the associated human health risks. Microplastics found in fish can carry harmful chemicals and pathogens, and once eaten by humans, they may cause oxidative stress and move from the gut to other tissues. The review highlights seafood as a major dietary source of microplastic exposure and calls for better monitoring and risk assessment.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 200 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics and seafood: lower trophic organisms at highest risk of contamination

This systematic review summarizes existing research on microplastic contamination in commercially important seafood species. The findings show that organisms lower on the food chain, like shellfish and small fish, tend to accumulate the most microplastics. Since many people eat these organisms whole, including their digestive tracts, this represents a direct pathway for microplastics to enter the human diet.

2019 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 564 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic particles in fresh and processed seafood products from Germany

This study quantified plastic particle contamination in fresh and processed seafood products sold in Germany, examining how processing affects microplastic levels in the edible portions consumers actually eat. Plastic particles were detected in both fresh and processed seafood, with processing steps influencing particle concentrations in final products.

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

The risks of marine micro/nano-plastics on seafood safety and human health

This review examined the risks of marine micro- and nanoplastics to seafood safety and human health, detailing how plastic particles are ingested by marine organisms and transferred through the food chain to consumers.

2023 Advances in food and nutrition research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic and mesoplastic contamination in canned sardines and sprats

Researchers analyzed 20 brands of canned sardines and sprats from 13 countries across four continents for micro- and mesoplastic contamination. While 16 brands were free of plastic particles, four brands contained between one and three particles each, identified primarily as polypropylene and PET using micro-Raman spectroscopy. The study provides the first evidence that microplastics can be present in processed canned seafood products intended for direct human consumption.

2017 The Science of The Total Environment 358 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative analysis of microplastic pollution in commercially relevant seafood across different geographical regions

Researchers analyzed microplastic pollution in commercially important seafood species, characterizing particle morphology and polymer composition across species. The study found microplastics in all species sampled, with differences in contamination levels linked to feeding ecology and habitat.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Systematic Review Tier 1

A global perspective on microplastic bioaccumulation in marine organisms

This systematic review examines microplastic contamination in marine organisms around the world, documenting how plastics of various sizes and types build up in seafood species. Since many of these species end up on our plates, the findings raise important questions about how much microplastic humans may be consuming through seafood.

2023 Ecological Indicators 107 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and pathways of microplastics, quantification protocol and adverseeffects of microplastics towards freshwater and seawater biota

This review examines the occurrence, pathways, and adverse effects of microplastics on freshwater and marine organisms, highlighting how these particles can enter the food chain through seafood consumption. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion causes health hazards in aquatic animals and points to gaps in understanding how microplastics affect human health along the food supply chain.

2023 Food Research 11 citations