Papers

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Article Tier 2

Plastic in digestive tracts and gills of cod and herring from the Baltic Sea

Researchers found plastic particles in the digestive tracts and gills of Baltic Sea cod and herring, with ingestion rates and particle types differing between the two species, indicating widespread exposure of commercially important fish to plastic pollution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and potential effects of plastic ingestion by pelagic and demersal fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea

Researchers examined the occurrence and potential effects of plastic ingestion in pelagic and bottom-dwelling fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea, finding plastics in both groups. The study contributed to baseline knowledge of microplastic ingestion rates in commercially important fish species in European seas.

2014 Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung (Alfred-Wegener-Institut) 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of pelagic and demersal fish from the English Channel

Researchers examined the gastrointestinal tracts of both pelagic and demersal fish species and found microplastics in individuals from both groups, suggesting that microplastic ingestion occurs across fish species regardless of their position in the water column.

2012 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1993 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in the stomachs of open-ocean and deep-sea fishes of the North-East Atlantic

Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence in the stomachs of 390 fish from three pelagic and two deep-sea species in the North-East Atlantic, comparing plastic ingestion between fish occupying contrasting ocean compartments. The study documented microplastic presence across species at different depths, highlighting how plastic contamination extends throughout the oceanic water column.

2020 Environmental Pollution 116 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion by pelagic and benthic fish and diet composition: A case study in the NW Iberian shelf

Researchers found microplastics in 78% of fish examined across four pelagic and benthic species from the NW Iberian shelf, with ingestion rates varying by feeding ecology and habitat depth, and identified predominantly fibers and fragments in gastrointestinal contents following alkaline tissue digestion.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 97 citations
Article Tier 2

The uptake of macroplastic & microplastic by demersal & pelagic fish in the Northeast Atlantic around Scotland

Researchers examined plastic ingestion in coastal flatfish and offshore pelagic and demersal fish around Scotland, finding that nearly half of coastal fish contained plastic while only 2.4% of offshore fish did, with polyamide fibers being the most commonly identified polymer type across both environments.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 211 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Intake, Its Biotic Drivers, and Hydrophobic Organic Contaminant Levels in the Baltic Herring

Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion and hydrophobic organic contaminant levels in Baltic herring along the Swedish west coast, finding microplastics in 22.3% of fish with large geographic variability, though no significant correlation was found between microplastic burden and contaminant concentrations in muscle tissue.

2019 Frontiers in Environmental Science 23 citations
Article Tier 2

First evidence of presence of plastic debris in stomach of large pelagic fish in the Mediterranean Sea

Researchers examined stomach contents of large predatory fish including swordfish and bluefin tuna caught in the Mediterranean Sea and found plastic debris in about 18% of the specimens. The ingested plastics ranged from tiny microplastics to large fragments, and were primarily polyethylene and polyester. This is the first study documenting plastic ingestion in large pelagic Mediterranean fish, suggesting that even top ocean predators are exposed to plastic pollution.

2015 Marine Pollution Bulletin 586 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic density as a key factor in the presence of microplastic in the gastrointestinal tract of commercial fishes from Campeche Bay, Mexico

Researchers found microplastics in 316 particles across 240 gastrointestinal tracts from six commercially consumed fish species in Campeche Bay, Mexico, with average ingestion of 1.31 MPs per fish, and found that fish feeding in mid-water column tended to ingest denser polymer types reflecting their depth distribution.

2020 Environmental Pollution 106 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic ingestion by Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ) from the Norwegian coast

Researchers examined 302 Atlantic cod stomachs from six locations along the Norwegian coast and found plastic in 3% overall, but with a hotspot in Bergen City Harbour where 27% of cod contained plastic, and polyester as the most common polymer, suggesting that local urban contamination strongly influences fish exposure.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 193 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence in the gastrointestinal tract and gill of bioindicator fish species in the northeastern Mediterranean

Four commercial fish species from the northeastern Mediterranean were examined for microplastic presence in gastrointestinal tracts and gills, with plastics found in all species and fiber being the most common type. The results add to growing evidence that microplastic ingestion is routine for commercially harvested Mediterranean fish.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 73 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

Low incidence of plastic ingestion among three fish species significant for human consumption on the island of Newfoundland, Canada

This study reported the first baselines of plastic ingestion in Atlantic cod, Atlantic salmon, and capelin from Newfoundland, Canada, finding a low but nonzero frequency of plastic ingestion in these commercially important fish. The data provides a starting point for tracking future changes in microplastic exposure in North Atlantic food fish.

2018 2 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

Characteristics and retention of microplastics in the digestive tracts of fish from the Yellow Sea

Researchers systematically characterized microplastics in 19 fish species from the Yellow Sea coast of China, finding plastic retention in 34% of individual fish sampled, with fibers dominating and significant variation in microplastic load by species and habitat.

2019 Environmental Pollution 138 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of microplastic contamination in the gastrointestinal tract of some species of caught fish from Oman Sea

Researchers found microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of fish species sampled from marine environments, documenting plastic ingestion across multiple species. The study contributes to the growing evidence base on microplastic contamination in commercially important fish.

2019 SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of microplastics by demersal fish from the Spanish Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts

Researchers examined the gastrointestinal contents of demersal fish caught from Spanish Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts and found microplastics in a notable proportion, with fiber and fragment types most common, suggesting widespread exposure for bottom-dwelling fish.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 588 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic ingestion by marine fish is widespread and increasing

Researchers compiled data from studies covering over 171,000 individual fish across 555 species and found that plastic ingestion by marine fish is widespread and increasing over time. A total of 386 species were documented to have ingested plastic debris, including 210 commercially important species. The study suggests that as plastic pollution grows, the proportion of marine fish species affected by plastic ingestion will continue to rise globally.

2021 Global Change Biology 265 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution in different tissues of small pelagic fish of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in three commercially important fish species from the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, finding plastic particles in the gut, gills, and muscle tissue. Horse mackerel had the highest contamination rates, with 92 percent of individuals containing microplastics in their digestive tract and 63 percent in their muscle. Since these fish are widely consumed by people, the presence of microplastics in edible muscle tissue is a direct concern for human dietary exposure.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro-and macro-plastics in marine species from Nordic waters

This study surveyed micro- and macro-plastic contamination in marine species collected from Nordic waters, finding plastic in fish, crustaceans, and seabirds from multiple locations. The results document the geographic extent of microplastic ingestion across commercially and ecologically important Nordic marine species.

2017 TemaNord 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Does the microplastics ingestion patterns and polymer composition vary across the oceanic zones? A case study from the Indian coast

Researchers examined microplastic ingestion in 27 species of deep-sea fish from the Central Indian Ocean and found contamination in 19 of them, with PET being the most common polymer. The study suggests that feeding behavior, rather than habitat depth or trophic level, is the primary factor influencing how much microplastic deep-sea fish ingest, and proposes these fish could serve as indicators for monitoring deep-sea plastic pollution.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Frequency of Microplastics in Mesopelagic Fishes from the Northwest Atlantic

Microplastics were found in the stomachs of mesopelagic fish collected from the Northwest Atlantic, with ingestion rates and particle types varying by species and depth. The study expands the known distribution of microplastic ingestion into deep-water fish communities, suggesting that plastic contamination has penetrated even mid-water food webs far from the surface.

2018 Frontiers in Marine Science 201 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic ingestion by Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) from central Mediterranean Sea: A potential cause for endocrine disruption

Researchers examined plastic ingestion by Atlantic horse mackerel caught in the central Mediterranean, finding plastics in a substantial fraction of fish stomachs and identifying chemicals with known endocrine-disrupting properties in the ingested plastic types, raising concerns for both fish health and seafood safety.

2021 Environmental Pollution 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion by small coastal fish in the northern Baltic Sea, Finland

Researchers found microplastics in 9% of 424 small coastal fish examined in the northern Baltic Sea, with urban Helsinki sites showing the highest prevalence (27.5%), and no relationship found between fish size or species and microplastic ingestion, suggesting coastal urbanization as a key driver.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 35 citations