Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Differential effects of microplastic exposure on anuran tadpoles: A still underrated threat to amphibian conservation?

Researchers found that microplastic exposure affects amphibian tadpoles differently depending on the species, with Italian agile frog tadpoles showing reduced survival at high concentrations while green toad tadpoles were more resilient.

2022 Environmental Pollution 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts and transport of microplastics: Population dynamics in frogs and the transfer between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems

Researchers studied how microplastics affect the development and survival of Japanese tree frogs and how frogs may transport plastics from water to land. They found that microplastic exposure did not significantly alter hatching or survival rates but did affect growth patterns. The study also demonstrates that as frogs metamorphose and move onto land, they carry ingested microplastics with them, creating a previously underappreciated pathway for plastic pollution to spread between ecosystems.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution and amphibian health: Complex physiological effects of different microplastic types on juvenile Glandirana rugosa

Researchers studied how polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics affect juvenile frogs and found significantly higher mortality rates in microplastic-exposed groups. The frogs showed elevated stress hormones, signs of oxidative damage, and elongated intestines, suggesting their bodies were trying to adapt to the particles. The study highlights that microplastics pose both physical and chemical risks to amphibians, which may contribute to population declines.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Life on both environment in semi-aquatic frogs: Impact of aquatic microplastic (MP) from MP enrichment to growth, immune function and physiological stress

Researchers exposed juvenile black-spotted pond frogs to different concentrations of microplastics in water to study effects after metamorphosis. They found that microplastics accumulated primarily in the digestive tract and caused reduced growth, increased stress markers, and weakened immune function at higher concentrations. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in freshwater habitats could pose significant health risks to amphibians during vulnerable life stages.

2024 Chemosphere 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological perspectives of microplastic pollution in amphibians

This review summarizes research on how microplastics affect amphibians, which are considered important indicator species for freshwater pollution. Researchers found evidence that microplastics can impair amphibian growth, immune function, and gene expression, with effects varying by species and particle characteristics. The findings raise concerns about the vulnerability of amphibian populations already threatened by habitat loss and other environmental stressors.

2022 Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part B 80 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of microplastics in tadpoles, adults, and habitats of three water frogs of Pelophylax spp.

Researchers examined microplastics in water frogs and their habitats across Turkey, finding that while tadpoles showed almost no microplastic ingestion, 44% of adult frogs had microplastics in their digestive tracts — mostly fibers from synthetic textiles. The findings highlight how microplastic contamination increases with life stage and proximity to human activity, threatening amphibian populations already under environmental stress.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe 8 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Glyphosate And Ciprofloxacin Eexposure On The Gut Bacterial Microbiota Diversity of Rhinella Arenarum (Anura: Bufonidae) Tadpoles

Researchers found that exposure to the herbicide glyphosate and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin significantly altered gut bacteria in toad tadpoles, with some combinations reducing gut microbial diversity. This shows that agricultural chemical runoff can damage the microbiome of amphibians, which are already highly vulnerable to environmental contamination.

2021 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Variation in microplastic characteristics among amphibian larvae: a comparative study across different species and the influence of human activity

Scientists examined microplastics inside amphibian larvae from 10 species and found plastic particles in all of them, with blue fibers being the most common type. Larger larvae tended to contain longer plastic fragments, and there was a relationship between human activity levels near habitats and the characteristics of the plastics found. This study shows that microplastic contamination has penetrated freshwater food webs, affecting animals during their most vulnerable developmental stages.

2024 Scientific Reports 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Similarity of Microplastic Characteristics between Amphibian Larvae and Their Aquatic Environment

Researchers compared microplastic characteristics in amphibian larvae with those in their surrounding aquatic environment, finding similarities in size distribution and polymer types that confirm direct ingestion from water, providing a new bioindicator approach for freshwater microplastic monitoring.

2024 Animals 8 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

Size matters either way: Differently-sized microplastics affect amphibian host and symbiotic microbiota discriminately

Researchers exposed toad tadpoles to two sizes of polystyrene microplastics and found both caused growth delays, but through different mechanisms. Larger particles disrupted gut bacteria, while smaller ones triggered stronger gene expression changes in tissues related to brain function and energy metabolism. The study suggests microplastic size matters for how toxicity manifests in amphibians.

2023 Environmental Pollution 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Direct and indirect ecological impacts of microplastic fibers on host-parasite and host-microbiota interactions

Researchers experimentally tested how polyester microplastic fibers of two sizes affect trematode parasite infection rates and gut microbiome composition in leopard frog tadpoles. Microplastic fibers altered both host-parasite dynamics and microbiota structure in size-dependent ways, demonstrating that plastic fiber pollution has cascading effects on freshwater ecological interactions.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology
Article Tier 2

First record of microplastic contamination in adult endemic amazonian anuran species

For the first time, researchers documented microplastic contamination in two frog species found only in the Amazon, examining their digestive, respiratory, and skin systems. Both species had significant microplastic contamination, with the skin and digestive tract showing the highest levels. This study is important because it shows microplastics have reached even remote Amazonian ecosystems and are contaminating amphibians, which serve as indicators of overall environmental health.

2025 Scientific Reports 9 citations
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

Identifying the presence of microplastics in frogs from the largest delta of the world

Researchers found microplastics in 90% of frogs collected from nine species across the Bengal delta, with fibers being the most common type — indicating that amphibians in this major river system are heavily exposed to plastic pollution, which may contribute to their global population decline.

2023 Environmental Advances 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential effects of two prevalent environmental pollutants on host-pathogen dynamics

Freshwater amphibian hosts were exposed to microplastics and glyphosate herbicide individually and in combination to assess effects on infection dynamics with a fungal pathogen, finding that pollutant exposure altered disease outcomes in complex ways depending on dose and combination. The study highlights that understanding real-world infection risk requires accounting for multiple co-occurring environmental stressors.

2022 Chemosphere 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics increase susceptibility of amphibian larvae to the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

Researchers found that microplastic exposure increases the susceptibility of midwife toad larvae to the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, suggesting that plastic pollution may worsen the impacts of this devastating amphibian disease.

2021 Scientific Reports 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative Analysis of Gut Microbiota Provides Insights into High-altitude Adaptation in Rana kukunoris on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau

Researchers used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize and compare the gut microbiota of the high-altitude frog Rana kukunoris on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau with two low-altitude frog species, Rana amurensis and Rana dybowskii. The comparative analysis aimed to identify microbial community differences that may reflect adaptive strategies to extreme high-altitude conditions including low oxygen and harsh temperatures.

2025 Asian Herpetological Research
Article Tier 2

Host–Gut Microbiome Metabolic Interactions in PFAS-Impacted Freshwater Turtles (Emydura macquarii macquarii)

Researchers applied multi-omics techniques to study how PFAS contamination affects host-gut microbiome metabolic interactions in freshwater turtles, revealing disrupted biochemical pathways and altered microbial community functions in turtles from a contaminated catchment in Queensland, Australia.

2022 Metabolites 27 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

Spatiotemporal distribution of microplastics in true frogs (Ranidae:Pelophylax) populations from Türkiye

Researchers examined preserved frog stomach contents from 146 true frogs collected across Turkey and found microplastics in nearly 60% of individuals, with plastic fibers being the most common form. The findings show that frogs — which live both in water and on land — are useful indicators of microplastic contamination across multiple ecosystems, and that exposure has been occurring for decades.

2023 Environmental Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Habitat disturbance influences the skin microbiome of a rediscovered neotropical-montane frog

Researchers studied the skin bacteria of a rediscovered montane frog in disturbed versus undisturbed habitats, finding that habitat degradation caused more chaotic and variable microbial communities — a pattern called dysbiosis. On the positive side, frogs in disturbed areas had higher levels of bacteria that may protect against the deadly chytrid fungus Bd, suggesting the frog's microbiome may be adapting to coexist with the pathogen over decades.

2020 BMC Microbiology 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of Polystyrene Microplastics with Cadmium on the Digestive System of Rana zhenhaiensis Tadpoles

Researchers exposed frog tadpoles to cadmium and polystyrene microplastics, both alone and in combination, finding that both pollutants increased mortality and delayed growth and development. Cadmium accumulated mainly in liver and intestine tissue while polystyrene concentrated in gills and intestines, and combined exposure altered the balance of gut microbiota more than either pollutant alone. The study suggests microplastics can interact with heavy metal pollutants in freshwater environments, potentially modifying their distribution and toxicity in amphibians.

2024 Toxics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Exposure to Different Types of Microplastics on the Growth and Development of Rana zhenhaiensis Tadpoles

Researchers exposed frog tadpoles to three types of microplastics -- polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene -- and found that polyethylene and polystyrene caused the most harm, significantly reducing metamorphosis rates, body weight, and body length. These two plastics also caused visible liver tissue damage and altered gut bacterial communities compared to controls. The study reveals that different types of microplastics can have very different levels of toxicity to developing amphibians.

2025 Toxics 3 citations