Swimming behavior affects ingestion of microplastics by fish.

Microplastics (< 5 mm) are widely found in organisms and have the potential harm to ecosystems. Despite their widespread prevalence in environments, there is high individual varation in the abundance of microplastics found in individuals of the same species. In the present study, juvenile cichlid fish (Chindongo demasoni) were chosen to determine the ingestion personality for microplastics in the laboratory.

Process-oriented impacts of microplastic fibers on behavior and histology of fish.

Microplastic pollution has raised global concern for its hazards to biota. To determine the direct impact of microplastics during their contact with fish, we exposed goldfish (Carassius auratus) to 100 and 1000 items/L waterborne microplastic fibers in the short- and long-term. In the presence of 1000 items/L of microplastic fibers, the coughing behavior of fish increased significantly after 2 h of exposure.

Microfiber fallout during dining and potential human intake.

The pervasiveness of microfibers, including fibrous microplastics indoors and outdoors, has drawn attention. However, some places such as the dining environment that are closely related to human diet and health have been neglected. Here, we characterized short-term microfiber fallout in different dining spots and conducted long-term monitoring in a college cafeteria.

Distribution and translocation of micro- and nanoplastics in fish.

Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are regarded as emerging particulate contaminants. Here, we first summarize the distribution of plastic particles in fish. Field investigations verify the presence of various kinds of fibrous, spherical, and fragmentary MPs in fish gastrointestinal tract and gills, and specifically in muscle and liver.

Fish Ingest Microplastics Unintentionally.

Microplastics (size of plastic debris <5 mm) occur in various environments worldwide these days and cause detrimental effects on biota. However, the behavioral responses of fish to microplastics in feeding processes are not well understood. In the present study, juveniles from four fish species and two common shapes of microplastics were used to explore fish feeding responses.