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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics in aquatic communities of neotropical agroecosystems
ClearContamination of stream fish by plastic waste in the Brazilian Amazon
Researchers evaluated plastic contamination in small fish from Amazonian headwater streams in Brazil, finding widespread plastic pollution in these understudied tropical freshwater ecosystems and characterizing the shapes, sizes, and abundance of plastic items ingested.
Widespread microplastic ingestion by fish assemblages in tropical estuaries subjected to anthropogenic pressures
A survey of 2,233 fish from 69 species across two tropical Brazilian estuaries found microplastics in 9% of individuals, with ingestion rates linked to feeding guild, habitat use, and proximity to urban areas. The study demonstrates that microplastic ingestion is widespread even in tropical systems and is shaped by ecology rather than occurring at random.
Food ecology and presence of microplastic in the stomach content of neotropical fish in an urban river of the upper Paraná River Basin
Microplastics were found in the stomachs of multiple fish species in an urban Brazilian river, with ingestion rates linked to each species' feeding ecology. The findings confirm that microplastics have entered the freshwater food chain, raising concern about contamination reaching people who eat these fish.
Habitat Integrity and Microplastic Contamination in Amazonian Streams: Assessment of Water, Sediment, and Fish and Identification of Predominant Polymers
Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in Amazonian streams by sampling water, sediment, and fish, and characterised predominant polymer types, finding that contamination was widespread across all environmental compartments regardless of habitat integrity, suggesting that even well-preserved stream habitats are not protected from microplastic pollution.
Ecological traits do not predict the uptake of microplastics by fishes in a Neotropical River
Researchers found that nearly half (49%) of 101 fish examined from a Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest river contained microplastics in their organs, with PET fibers being predominant and blue fibers accounting for 91% of all particles. Importantly, neither trophic level, feeding strategy, nor habitat predicted which fish were most contaminated — individual size and species-specific traits were better predictors. Since 55% of the analyzed species are consumed by humans, the study raises direct concerns about microplastic transfer through the food chain to people.
Ingestão e efeitos morfofisiológicos dos microplásticos em espécies de peixes da Amazônia Central
This Brazilian thesis investigates microplastic ingestion and its effects on fish from the Amazon basin, one of the world's most biodiverse freshwater systems. Given that aquatic organisms in even remote areas are exposed to microplastics, the research highlights risks to Amazon fish diversity and the potential for microplastics to disrupt aquatic food webs in previously pristine ecosystems.
Far from urban areas: plastic uptake in fish populations of subtropical headwater streams
This study found plastic fibers in 38% of fish from remote subtropical headwater streams far from urban areas in Brazil, with fibers making up the fourth most common item in fish stomachs. The results suggest that even in sparsely populated landscapes, microplastic contamination of freshwater ecosystems is widespread.
Ecological traits do not predict the uptake of microplastics by fishes in a Neotropical River
Researchers found that ecological traits such as feeding guild, habitat use, and body size do not reliably predict microplastic uptake in fish species from a Neotropical river, suggesting contamination patterns are driven more by local environmental conditions than by species-specific biology.
Incidence of Watershed Land Use on the Consumption of Meso and Microplastics by Fish Communities in Uruguayan Lowland Streams
Researchers found that fish in urbanized Uruguayan lowland streams ingested significantly more meso- and microplastics than fish in streams draining extensive ranching land, with 309 individuals from 29 species analyzed. The results link watershed land use intensity to plastic contamination levels in freshwater fish communities.
Avaliando a poluição plástica em ecossistemas brasileiros: um estudo integrado da poluição em organismos e ambientes.
Researchers examined plastic ingestion by freshwater fish across 23 species in the Upper Parana River floodplain in Brazil, finding that nine species ingested plastics and that seasonality significantly influenced ingestion rates, with the highest levels recorded during dry season. The study also synthesized trends and gaps in Brazilian plastic pollution research, linking plastic contamination patterns to fishing activities, domestic waste, and anthropogenic pressures in aquatic ecosystems.
Micro‐ and nano‐plastic loads in fish and macroinvertebrates in a tropical river
In a tropical river system undergoing rapid urbanization, 95% of fish and 44% of macroinvertebrates were found to contain microplastics, with smaller nanoscale plastics detected using a new automated method in addition to traditional visual inspection. The high contamination rates across multiple animal groups in a single river highlight how thoroughly microplastics can permeate freshwater food webs.
Occurrence of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of Amazonian fish species with different feeding habits
Microplastics were found in the gastrointestinal tracts of multiple Amazonian fish species with different feeding habits from Lake Janauacá and the Anavilhanas Archipelago, with feeding strategy influencing ingestion rates—underscoring widespread microplastic contamination even in remote Amazon basin aquatic ecosystems.
Microplastics in fishes in amazon riverine beaches: Influence of feeding mode and distance to urban settlements
Researchers found microplastics in the digestive tracts of 29 fish species from Amazon riverine beaches, with contamination levels influenced by fish feeding mode and distance to urban settlements within a protected area.
Benthic macroinvertebrates and microplastic contamination in contrasting water quality environments of the Middle Tietê River basin (São Paulo, Brazil)
Researchers compared microplastic contamination in benthic invertebrates and sediments between a heavily polluted urban river and a cleaner tributary in São Paulo, Brazil. Higher microplastic concentrations were found near urban areas, confirming that human activity drives plastic accumulation in freshwater ecosystems.
Microplastic loads within riverine fishes and macroinvertebrates are not predictable from ecological or morphological characteristics
Researchers measured microplastic loads in riverine fish and macroinvertebrates and found that particle counts were not reliably predicted by species ecology or morphology, suggesting that individual variation and local environmental factors play a larger role in microplastic ingestion than feeding guild or habitat alone.
Microplastics pollution in tropical lakes: water, zooplankton, and fish in Central Mexico
Researchers analyzed microplastic presence in water, zooplankton, and fish across two tropical lakes in central Mexico. The study found microplastics in all compartments including rotifers, microcrustaceans, and fish of the genus Chirostoma, providing evidence of microplastic transfer through freshwater food chains in tropical ecosystems.
Microplastics in wetlands: contrasting fish contamination between mangroves and temporary ponds in southeastern Brazil
Researchers compared microplastic contamination in annual and perennial killifish across mangroves and temporary ponds in coastal Brazil, finding that habitat type influenced contamination more than fish life history, with mangrove-dwelling fish showing higher loads.
Microplastics accumulation in functional feeding guilds and functional habit groups of freshwater macrobenthic invertebrates: Novel insights in a riverine ecosystem
Microplastics were found across functional feeding groups and habitat types of freshwater macroinvertebrates in an Italian river, with collector-gatherers and sediment-dwelling species showing higher contamination, confirming that dietary and behavioral ecology shapes microplastic exposure patterns in invertebrate communities.
Diet composition and plastic ingestion in Poecilia reticulata from urban streams
Guppies living in urban streams in Brazil were found to contain microplastics alongside their normal diet of organic matter and insects, with plastic particles ranging from tiny fragments under half a millimeter to pieces over a centimeter long. The presence of plastics across a fish species that sits low on the food chain suggests potential for microplastic transfer up to larger predators and, ultimately, to humans.
Microsynthetics in waters of the South American Pantanal
Researchers sampled microplastics from water courses, lakes, and floodplains across 16 locations in the South American Pantanal wetland using plankton nets, documenting microplastic contamination in one of the world's largest tropical freshwater ecosystems.
Microplastics and other anthropogenic particles contamination and its potential trophic transfer in a tropical Andean reservoir, Colombia
Researchers sampled water, sediment, and multiple trophic levels of biota in a tropical Andean reservoir in Colombia, finding microplastics and other anthropogenic particles at every level and documenting evidence of trophic transfer from zooplankton through macroinvertebrates to fish.
A fresh look at microplastics and other particles in the tropical coastal ecosystems of Tamandaré, Brazil
Scientists measured microplastics alongside other types of particles in coastal waters near Tamandaré, Brazil, and proposed a new index to assess relative microplastic contamination accounting for the scarcity of natural food particles. The study found microplastics are a significant fraction of particles in these tropical coastal waters, potentially competing with zooplankton food sources.
Zooplankton exposure to microplastic contamination in a estuarine plume-influenced region, in Northeast Brazil
Researchers examined microplastic contamination in estuarine plume waters off the coast of northeastern Brazil and its relationship with zooplankton. The study found significantly higher microplastic abundance during the high rainfall season, with fibers and fragments being the dominant types, and elevated concentrations in river plume areas compared to reef-adjacent waters, indicating land-based sources as major contributors.
High macroplastic pollution in a subtropical urban lake affects macroinvertebrate community structure
Researchers examined the effects of high macroplastic pollution in a subtropical urban lake on macroinvertebrate communities, finding that plastic debris significantly altered benthic assemblages and reduced biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems that have received less ecological attention than marine environments.