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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to New Methods for the Quantification of Ingested Nano- and Ultrafine Plastics in Seabirds.
ClearMétodos para avaliação da exposição a poluentes plásticos em procellariiformes
This paper reviews methods for assessing plastic exposure in Procellariiformes seabirds — including albatrosses and petrels — focusing on how to measure plastic ingestion in both live and beached birds. Standardized methods are needed to monitor how plastic pollution affects these ocean-going birds over time.
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.
Garbage in guano? Microplastic debris found in faecal precursors of seabirds known to ingest plastics
Microplastics including fibers and fragments were detected in faecal precursors (pellets) from seabirds known to ingest plastics, providing non-lethal evidence of plastic ingestion that could be used in monitoring programs. The method offers a practical way to assess plastic ingestion in protected seabird species without requiring destructive sampling.
Rapid methods for the quantification of ingested nano-and microplastics in marine fish by imaging flow cytometry
Researchers developed a rapid, high-throughput method using imaging flow cytometry to quantify nano- and microplastics ingested by marine fish. The optimized technique uses Nile Red fluorescent staining and morphology-based corrections to accurately count plastic particles, providing a faster and more reliable alternative to conventional detection methods for ecological risk assessments.
Size and dynamics of microplastic in gastrointestinal tracts of Northern Fulmars ( Fulmarus glacialis ) and Sooty Shearwaters ( Ardenna grisea )
Researchers examined microplastic in the gastrointestinal tracts of 143 Northern Fulmars and 25 Sooty Shearwaters stranded on Oregon and Washington beaches, finding plastic in 89.5% and 64% of birds respectively, with larger particles concentrated in the stomach's upper chamber and no significant reduction in plastic load in birds held in a plastic-free rehabilitation environment for up to seven days.
Seabird plastic ingestion differs among collection methods: Examples from the short-tailed shearwater.
This study compared plastic loads in short-tailed shearwaters collected as fishing bycatch versus naturally dead beached birds, finding that naturally dead birds carried significantly more plastic debris. The results suggest that studies relying only on beached carcasses overestimate typical plastic ingestion rates in seabird populations.
The hidden cost of following currents: Microplastic ingestion in a planktivorous seabird
Researchers documented microplastic ingestion in Mediterranean storm petrels, finding that these planktivorous seabirds ingest microplastics while foraging in pelagic areas where plastic debris accumulates alongside their planktonic prey in ocean currents.
Overview of plastic ingestion in seabirds: a call for harmonized methods
This review examined over 2,500 publications on plastic ingestion in seabirds to map methodological approaches for sampling, detection, and analysis of macro- and microplastics across species. The authors identified major gaps including over-reliance on visual classification, limited use of chemical identification techniques, and inconsistent protocols, issuing a call for harmonized standardized methods to enable meaningful cross-study comparisons.
Flow cytometry as new promising detection tool for micro and submicron plastic particles
Researchers evaluated flow cytometry as a detection tool for micro- and nanoplastics, testing its ability to rapidly identify and count plastic particles in environmental and biological samples. Results demonstrated that flow cytometry offers a promising high-throughput approach for microplastic detection compared to more time-intensive conventional methods.
Micro- and mesoplastic contaminants in marine diving ducks: A first assessments from the coast of Japan
Researchers conducted the first assessment of plastic contamination in two species of mollusk-eating seaducks wintering along Japan's Pacific coast and found microplastics in all ten birds examined. The vast majority of particles were tiny fragments under 200 micrometers, a size class previously overlooked in seaduck studies, suggesting these birds ingest microplastics primarily through their contaminated prey.
Microplastics in faeces of European shags Gulosus aristotelis in central Norway
Researchers analyzed microplastics in 36 fecal samples from European shag chicks in central Norway to quantify egested microplastics using a non-lethal sampling method. Microplastics were detected in the majority of samples, dominated by fibers, confirming that seabirds in Norwegian coastal waters are routinely ingesting plastic debris.
Flow cytometry as new promising detection tool for micro and submicron plastic particles
Researchers evaluated flow cytometry as a tool for detecting and counting micro- and submicron plastic particles in environmental and biological samples. The method offered rapid throughput and the ability to distinguish plastic particles from biological material, but required careful optimization for complex matrices.
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.
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.
Uncovering the sub-lethal impacts of plastic ingestion by shearwaters using fatty acid analysis
Researchers applied fatty acid (FA) analysis to investigate sub-lethal impacts of plastic ingestion on shearwater body condition and health, using gas chromatography to detect shifts in FA profiles associated with plastic consumption. The study found that FA analysis is a promising non-lethal tool for detecting nutritional and physiological impacts of plastic ingestion in seabirds.
Microplastic ingestion: Are seabirds more affected than other marine species?
This review examines whether seabirds ingest plastic more frequently than other marine species, finding they are among the most affected groups with high rates of plastic ingestion documented across species. The review discusses factors including foraging behavior, habitat, and ocean plastic concentrations that explain why seabirds are particularly vulnerable.
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.
Plastic ingestion by seabirds in New Caledonia, South Pacific
Researchers examined stomach contents of 90 seabirds from 12 species in New Caledonia and found plastic debris in 14.4% of individuals, with the highest rates in procellariids (petrels and shearwaters), providing the first plastic ingestion baseline for this Pacific island region.
Novel methodology for identification and quantification of microplastics in biological samples
Researchers validated a protocol for identifying and quantifying polyethylene microplastics in biological samples, finding that membrane filtration caused particle retention problems and that flow cytometry offered a more reliable alternative for analysis of biological digests.
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.
Evaluation of meso- and microplastic ingestion by the northern fulmar through a non-lethal sampling method
Using a non-lethal stomach flushing method on Arctic fulmars at Svalbard, researchers found plastics in only three of 22 birds — much lower burdens than previously reported — but identified a key methodological limitation: the technique misses plastics accumulated in the gizzard where most plastic concentrates. The study is valuable for showing that repeated, non-lethal sampling of the same individuals over time is possible, which could improve long-term plastic ingestion monitoring in seabirds.
Sublethal consequences of plastic exposure in seabirds
Researchers studied the sublethal effects of macroplastic and microplastic ingestion in flesh-footed shearwaters (seabirds) and found evidence of reduced body condition, altered blood chemistry, and elevated chemical tissue concentrations. The findings suggest that plastic ingestion causes measurable harm to seabirds even below lethal doses, with implications for population health in plastic-polluted marine environments.
Plastic pollution exposure in seabirds : from macroplastics to microplastics
A French PhD thesis quantified plastic pollution exposure in yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) across the western Mediterranean, finding microplastics (10 µm–1 mm) in nearly all examined birds, with an average of ~39 mg of plastic per bird including ~8.5 mg of small microplastics. The work developed a new tissue-level microplastic quantification protocol for vertebrates, and shows that seabirds near landfills and agricultural areas carry the heaviest plastic burdens — suggesting land-based waste management directly controls wildlife microplastic exposure.
Recommended best practices for plastic and litter ingestion studies in marine birds: Collection, processing, and reporting
This paper proposed standardized best practices for sampling, processing, and reporting plastic ingestion in marine birds, aiming to improve consistency across studies and enable meaningful large-scale comparisons.