Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The ecotoxicological impact of microplastics on freshwater invertebrates

This review summarizes the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics on freshwater invertebrates, finding evidence of harm including reduced feeding, growth, and reproduction across multiple species. Because invertebrates are key links in food webs, these effects could have broader consequences for freshwater ecosystems.

2019 CentAUR (University of Reading) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of exposure to microplastics and pollutants on the arthropod microbiome

This thesis investigated how microplastics and other pollutants (pesticides, detergents, metals) affect the gut microbiome of freshwater invertebrates. Disruption of the host-microbiome relationship by microplastics could impair immune function and overall health in aquatic organisms that form important parts of the food web.

2021 Digital comprehensive summaries of Uppsala dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Exposure Across Trophic Levels: Effects on the Host Microbiota of Freshwater Organisms

Researchers investigated how microplastic exposure affects the gut bacteria communities of freshwater organisms including fish, invertebrates, and crustaceans. Microplastics—particularly when combined with pesticides—altered gut microbiota composition, which could impair digestion, immunity, and overall health of freshwater species.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on Daphnia-associated microbiomes in situ and in vitro

This study investigated how microplastic exposure alters the microbiome associated with Daphnia in freshwater, finding shifts in bacterial community composition that may affect host health and ecological function. The results suggest that microplastics can indirectly harm zooplankton by disrupting their microbial symbionts.

2024
Article Tier 2

Microbiological perspectives on the effects of microplastics on the aquatic environment

This review examines how microplastics interact with microorganisms in aquatic environments, highlighting risks to microbial communities and the potential for microplastics to disrupt ecosystem functions. Microplastics may alter microbial diversity and promote the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

2019 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic exposure across trophic levels: effects on the host–microbiota of freshwater organisms

Researchers examined how microplastic exposure across trophic levels affects the gut microbiota of freshwater organisms, finding that microplastics alter microbial community composition and that effects can transfer through food web interactions.

2022 Environmental Microbiome 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as an aquatic pollutant affect gut microbiota within aquatic animals

This review examined how microplastics affect the gut microbiota of aquatic animals, analyzing the roles of plastic-associated chemicals and biofilms in disrupting microbial communities from ingestion through physiological impacts.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 109 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbiome Composition and Function in Aquatic Vertebrates: Small Organisms Making Big Impacts on Aquatic Animal Health

This review examines how microbiomes (communities of microorganisms) function in fish and marine mammals, and how environmental stressors like microplastics can disrupt them. Microplastics in water can alter the natural balance of beneficial microbes in aquatic animals, potentially affecting their health and the safety of seafood. Understanding these disruptions matters because changes in fish microbiomes could affect the quality and safety of the fish that end up on our plates.

2021 Frontiers in Microbiology 283 citations
Article Tier 2

Critical review on unveiling the toxic and recalcitrant effects of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems and their degradation by microbes

This review provides a comprehensive look at how microplastics accumulate in aquatic ecosystems and their toxic effects on marine organisms throughout the food chain. Researchers also examine the potential of bacteria, fungi, and algae to break down microplastics through biodegradation, including advances in genetic engineering to enhance this process. The study underscores both the severity of microplastic pollution and the emerging biological strategies that could help address it.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the ecotoxicological effects of micro and nano-plastics on aquatic organisms and human health

This review summarizes the growing body of evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics affect aquatic organisms and, through the food chain, potentially human health. The tiny plastic particles absorb toxic pollutants and pathogens from the water, acting as carriers that deliver these harmful substances into the bodies of fish, shellfish, and other organisms. The review highlights that both direct plastic toxicity and indirect chemical exposure through contaminated seafood pose risks to human consumers.

2024 Frontiers in Environmental Science 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbiome: A forgotten target of environmental micro(nano)plastics?

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics affect the microbiome of various organisms, an area that has received less attention than other toxicological endpoints. Researchers found that most studies focused on polystyrene particles and that exposure consistently disrupted microbiome composition, triggered immune responses, and altered enzyme activity across organisms including crustaceans, fish, and mammals. The study highlights the microbiome as an important but often overlooked target of microplastic pollution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 55 citations
Review Tier 2

A comprehensive review of the impact of microplastics on aquatic organisms: From ingestion to ecological consequences

This comprehensive review assessed the impacts of microplastics on diverse aquatic organisms—including fish, marine mammals, mollusks, crustaceans, and microorganisms—from ingestion through ecological-level consequences. The authors found that microplastics cause physical injury, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and behavioral changes across taxa, with downstream effects on food web structure and ecosystem function.

2025 Applied Chemical Engineering
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on host–parasite interactions in aquatic environments

Researchers reviewed how microplastics and nanoplastics affect the interactions between parasites and their hosts in aquatic environments. Evidence indicates that plastic particles can influence infection rates, parasite transmission, and host immune responses, though the effects vary widely depending on the species and type of plastic involved.

2024 Oecologia 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in aquatic environments: Toxicity to trigger ecological consequences

This review draws on cross-disciplinary research to connect the toxic effects of microplastics on individual organisms to broader ecological consequences in aquatic environments. Researchers found that microplastics can disrupt nutrient cycling, alter metabolic processes, trigger immune responses, and threaten ecosystem composition. The study highlights how the ecological damage from microplastics depends on how their toxicity transfers and multiplies through aquatic food webs.

2020 Environmental Pollution 561 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: Potential impacts on aquatic biodiversity

This review examined microplastic impacts on aquatic biodiversity, finding that MPs affect organisms across trophic levels through ingestion, entanglement, and chemical leaching, with potential consequences for population dynamics and ecosystem functioning.

2023 Tropical Freshwater Biology 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of emerging pollutants on the gut microbiota of freshwater animals: Focusing on microplastics and pesticides

This review examines how microplastics and pesticides, two pollutants commonly found together in freshwater, each disrupt the gut bacteria of fish and other aquatic animals, and their combined presence can make the effects worse. Changes in gut bacteria caused by these pollutants can impair metabolism, immunity, and overall health of aquatic organisms, with potential consequences for the food chain.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Impact of Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions

This review examines microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems, covering chemical, biological, and ecological processes beyond simple physical contamination and identifying priority areas for future research directions.

2025 Indus journal of bioscience research.
Article Tier 2

Micro(nano)plastics Prevalence, Food Web Interactions, and Toxicity Assessment in Aquatic Organisms: A Review

This review examines the prevalence of micro- and nanoplastics across aquatic environments and their documented toxic effects on organisms ranging from plankton to fish, including DNA damage, reproductive harm, and neurotoxicity. Researchers found clear evidence that these particles transfer through aquatic food webs and can ultimately reach humans through seafood consumption. The study calls for more research into how microplastics carrying multiple contaminants cause combined toxic effects in marine organisms.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 164 citations
Article Tier 2

Examine How Microplastics and Macroplastics in Freshwater and Marine Habitats Affect Aquatic Species and Ecosystems

This review examines how both microplastics and macroplastics harm aquatic organisms and ecosystems in freshwater and marine environments, summarizing evidence of physical injury, chemical toxicity, and food web disruption.

2023 Kaav International Journal of Science Engineering & Technology A Peer Review Quarterly Journal
Article Tier 2

Investigating Micro-Plastic Pollution and its Consequences on Aquatic Communities

This review examined how microplastic pollution affects aquatic communities, discussing sources of microplastics, routes of exposure, and documented ecological consequences for wildlife and the human food supply that depends on healthy aquatic ecosystems.

2023 Oceanography & Fisheries Open access Journal
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Aquatic Environments

This review summarizes the current state of microplastic research in aquatic environments, covering the plastisphere — the microbial community that colonizes plastic surfaces — and the ways microplastics interact with other aquatic organisms. The paper highlights microplastics as a growing ecological concern that affects food webs and ecosystem processes.

2022 Microplastics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics in our water: Fish microbiomes at risk?

This review examined how microplastics and leached plasticizers affect the gut microbiomes of freshwater and marine fish, summarizing evidence for dysbiosis and reduced microbial diversity and discussing potential consequences for fish immunity, metabolism, and environmental fitness.

2021 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part D Genomics and Proteomics 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicity of microplastics to freshwater biota: Considering exposure and hazard across trophic levels

This review examines the toxic effects of microplastics on freshwater organisms across multiple levels of the food web, from biofilms and plankton to fish and amphibians. Researchers found evidence of harm in several species, though effects varied widely depending on particle size, type, and concentration. The study highlights that freshwater microplastic toxicity is still poorly understood compared to marine environments and calls for more standardized research.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 150 citations
Article Tier 2

A Comprehensive Review on Microplastic Pollution in Aquatic Ecosystems and Their Effects on Aquatic Biota

This comprehensive review examines microplastic pollution across freshwater and marine ecosystems and its effects on aquatic organisms. Researchers found that microplastics are abundant in both environments and that nearly all studies reviewed documented uptake by organisms along with alterations in biochemical parameters. The evidence indicates that microplastic contamination is becoming an increasingly serious environmental and health concern for aquatic life.

2023 AQUATIC SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING 18 citations