Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Cotton and polyester microfibers cause chronic toxicity in the freshwater invertebrate Chironomus dilutus

Researchers compared the chronic toxicity of cotton and polyester microfibers on the freshwater invertebrate Chironomus dilutus, testing both clean fibers and fibers soaked in wastewater treatment effluent. The study found that both fiber types caused toxic effects, highlighting that microfiber pollution in aquatic environments is not limited to synthetic plastics and that associated chemicals can increase toxicity.

2026 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Article Tier 2

High accumulation of microplastic fibers in fish hindgut induces an enhancement of triphenyl phosphate hydroxylation

Researchers investigated the role of microplastic fibers — a primary source of textile-derived microplastics — as vectors for triphenyl phosphate flame retardant, using compound spinning for in situ fluorescent measurement and finding that high accumulation of microplastic fibers in zebrafish hindgut significantly enhanced triphenyl phosphate bioaccumulation and hydroxylation metabolism.

2022 Environmental Pollution 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence and characterization of microplastics in fish of commercial importance from the Biobío region in central Chile

Six commercially important fish species from coastal and oceanic habitats in central Chile were analyzed for microplastics, with red microfibers (70–100% of particles) as the dominant form and polyester, PE, and PET as the main polymers, and coastal species showing higher abundance and larger fibers than oceanic species. The study documents microplastic contamination in Chilean commercial fisheries and a habitat-dependent difference in plastic burden.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 129 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microfiber exposure on medaka (Oryzias latipes): Oxidative stress, cell damage, and mortality

Japanese medaka fish exposed to polyester microfibers showed elevated oxidative stress, cell membrane damage, and increased mortality compared to controls. The study identifies microfibers, which are discharged from laundry via wastewater treatment plants, as a biologically active marine contaminant capable of causing measurable harm to fish.

2022 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronic microfiber exposure in adult Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes)

Adult Japanese medaka fish chronically exposed to polyester and polypropylene microfibers showed histological changes in gut and liver, altered gene expression in inflammation and oxidative stress pathways, and disrupted reproductive output, demonstrating tissue-level harm from realistic fiber concentrations.

2020 PLoS ONE 105 citations
Article Tier 2

Less impact than suspected: Dietary exposure of three-spined sticklebacks to microplastic fibers does not affect their body condition and immune parameters

Researchers found that dietary exposure to polyester microplastic fibers at environmentally relevant and elevated concentrations had no significant effects on growth, body condition, or immune parameters of three-spined sticklebacks over nine weeks.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling Physical and Chemical Effects of Textile Microfibers

This review examines both the physical and chemical effects of textile microfibers on organisms, discussing how these most prevalent microplastics expose biota to manufacturing chemicals and environmental contaminants across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.

2022 Water 35 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Beyond plastics: occurrence and ecological risks of non-plastic microfibres in aquatic organisms

This systematic review highlights that non-plastic microfibres from cotton, wool, and rayon clothing are also widespread pollutants in aquatic environments. These fibres, often overlooked in favor of plastic pollution, carry chemical additives and accumulate in aquatic organisms, suggesting the microparticle problem in our food chain is broader than previously thought.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Systematic Review Tier 1

Plastic microfibers as a risk factor for the health of aquatic organisms: A bibliometric and systematic review of plastic pandemic

Aquatic organisms exposed to plastic microfibers showed accumulation primarily in the digestive tract and exhibited DNA damage, physiological alterations, digestive damage, and mortality. Fiber toxicity depended on size, shape, chemical composition, and association with other pollutants, with nanofiber effects representing a major knowledge gap.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Distinct polymer-dependent sorption of persistent pollutants associated with Atlantic salmon farming to microplastics

Researchers found that HDPE, PP, PET, and PVC microplastics placed near Atlantic salmon farms sorbed different persistent organic pollutants depending on polymer type, demonstrating that microplastics in aquaculture environments can act as vectors for chemical contaminants with implications for seafood safety.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of fibrous microplastics on the accumulation of tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate and behavior of zebrafish via water- and foodborne exposure routes

Researchers found that fibrous microplastics enhanced the accumulation of the flame retardant tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate in zebrafish and altered their swimming behavior, demonstrating how MP shape influences contaminant uptake and neurotoxicity.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyester Microfiber Accumulation and Toxicological Effects on Freshwater Fish Labeo rohita.

Scientists found that tiny plastic fibers from polyester clothing seriously harm freshwater fish when they eat them, causing stress, behavioral changes like increased aggression, and disrupting their body chemistry. This matters because these same plastic fibers are widespread in our water systems and food chain, potentially affecting the fish we eat and the water we drink. The study shows we need to reduce plastic pollution from synthetic clothing to protect both aquatic life and human health.

2026 Environmental toxicology and pharmacology
Article Tier 2

The entrainment of polyester microfibers modifies the structure and function of periphytic biofilms

Researchers studied how polyester microfibers -- shed from synthetic textiles -- affect the structure and function of periphytic biofilms over prolonged exposure periods. Microfiber entrainment significantly altered biofilm community composition and reduced key functional metrics, demonstrating that textile-derived microfibers are a meaningful stressor for benthic microbial communities in freshwater systems.

2024 Hydrobiologia 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of a microplastic exposure gradient on juvenile lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)

Researchers exposed newly hatched lake trout to a gradient of three microplastic types over 12 weeks, assessing growth, survival, and physiological biomarkers. Microplastic exposure caused dose-dependent effects on early life stage fish, with polymer type influencing the pattern of harm.

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

Impact of polyester and cotton microfibers on growth and sublethal biomarkers in juvenile mussels

Researchers exposed juvenile mussels to polyester and cotton microfibers at realistic ocean concentrations for 94 days and found that polyester microfibers reduced mussel growth rates by up to 36%, suggesting that microplastic fiber pollution could harm marine ecosystems and threaten shellfish aquaculture.

2023 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Chemical Pollutants Sorbed to Ingested Microbeads from Personal Care Products Accumulate in Fish

Researchers investigated whether organic pollutants sorbed to microbeads from personal care products could accumulate in fish after ingestion. The study found that chemical pollutants adsorbed onto microplastic beads were indeed assimilated by rainbow fish following ingestion, providing evidence that microplastics can serve as a pathway for contaminant transfer through the food chain.

2016 Environmental Science & Technology 481 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources, distribution and fate of microfibres on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Widespread microdebris contamination was documented across the central Great Barrier Reef, with microfibres comprising 86% of detected particles and intake by coral reef fish being non-random with preferences for particular chemical compositions, shapes, and colors. The study identifies riverine input as a major source and demonstrates that fish are selectively ingesting certain microfiber types rather than consuming them passively.

2019 Scientific Reports 88 citations
Article Tier 2

No Effect of Realistic Concentrations of Polyester Microplastic Fibers on Freshwater Zooplankton Communities

Researchers tested whether realistic concentrations of polyester microplastic fibers affect freshwater zooplankton communities in experimental settings. The study found no significant effects on zooplankton abundance, diversity, or community structure at environmentally relevant concentrations, suggesting that current levels of fiber pollution may not substantially impact these organisms.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronic Exposure of Adult Zebrafish to Polyethylene and Polyester-based Microplastics: Metabolomic and Gut Microbiome Alterations Reflecting Dysbiosis and Resilience

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polyethylene and polyester microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations and found significant disruptions to metabolic pathways and gut microbiome composition. Polyethylene primarily affected cell membrane compounds and inflammation-related metabolites, while polyester altered lipid metabolism and gut bacterial interactions. The study reveals that chronic microplastic exposure can cause subtle but meaningful shifts in fish metabolism and gut health, even at low concentrations.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging of textile-based microfibers in both air and water environments

Researchers aged textile-based microfibers under controlled air and water environments over extended periods, characterizing changes in surface chemistry, mechanical properties, and morphology, finding that degradation pathways differed substantially between air and aquatic conditions.

2025 Water Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization and spatial distribution of microplastics in two wild captured economic freshwater fish from north and west rivers of Guangdong province

Microplastics were found in two economically important freshwater fish species sampled across Guangdong Province, China, with fibers being the most common type and polypropylene and polyester the dominant polymers. The widespread contamination of commercial freshwater fish in China indicates a significant pathway for human exposure through fish consumption.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthetic Microfiber Material Influences Ingestion by Freshwater Worms

This study exposed freshwater worms (Lumbriculus variegatus) to three types of synthetic microfibers (nylon, polyester, and olefin) in sediment and found that polyester fibers were ingested at much higher rates — 10 to 12 fibers per individual — compared to nylon or olefin. The preferential ingestion of polyester is significant because it suggests that not all microfiber types pose equal ecological risk, and that polyester microfibers are more likely to be transferred up the food chain to animals that eat these worms.

2023 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

A Holistic Assessment of Polyethylene Fiber Ingestion in Larval and Juvenile Japanese Medaka Fish

Japanese medaka larvae and juveniles exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of polyethylene fibers showed intestinal histological changes, altered gut microbiota composition, and disrupted lipid metabolism, with effects dependent on both exposure concentration and the developmental stage at which exposure occurred.

2021 Frontiers in Physiology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

It's not just synthetic microplastics: Multi-tissue approach reveals a wide range of transcriptional changes in European seabass exposed to viscose-rayon microfibres

Researchers fed European seabass diets containing viscose-rayon microfibers at various concentrations for 68 days and measured effects on growth and gene expression across multiple tissues. While fish growth was not affected, gene expression analysis revealed widespread transcriptional changes in the liver, intestine, and brain, even at the lowest fiber concentrations. The study demonstrates that semi-synthetic microfibers can cause significant molecular-level disruptions in fish even when outward signs of harm are not apparent.

2025 Environmental Pollution 3 citations