2021
DOI: 10.1002/eap.2320
|View full text |Cite
|
Sign up to set email alerts
|

A fish tale: a century of museum specimens reveal increasing microplastic concentrations in freshwater fish

Abstract: Plastic is pervasive in modern economies and ecosystems. Freshwater fish ingest microplastics (i.e., particles <5 mm), but no studies have examined historical patterns of their microplastic consumption. Measuring the patterns of microplastic pollution in the past is critical for predicting future trends and for understanding the relationship between plastics in fish and the environment. We measured microplastics in digestive tissues of specimens collected from the years 1900–2017 and preserved in museum collec… Show more

Help me understand this report

Search citation statements

Order By: Relevance

Paper Sections

Select...
2
1
1
1

Citation Types

2
23
0

Year Published

2021
2021
2023
2023

Publication Types

Select...
8
1
1

Relationship

0
10

Authors

Journals

citations
Cited by 38 publications
(25 citation statements)
references
References 55 publications
2
23
0
Order By: Relevance
“…Microplastics constitute a major potential threat to global aquatic ecosystems (Avio et al, 2017) due to their documented ubiquity, long residence times, and high likelihood to be ingested by biota (Galgani et al, 2010). The history of MP accumulation in fish date back over the past century (Hou et al, 2021). Laboratory and field assessments show that the ingestion and translocation of MPs can affect aquatic organisms and readily transfer through entire food webs (Wright, Rowe, et al, 2013; Wright, Thompson, & Galloway, 2013).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Microplastics constitute a major potential threat to global aquatic ecosystems (Avio et al, 2017) due to their documented ubiquity, long residence times, and high likelihood to be ingested by biota (Galgani et al, 2010). The history of MP accumulation in fish date back over the past century (Hou et al, 2021). Laboratory and field assessments show that the ingestion and translocation of MPs can affect aquatic organisms and readily transfer through entire food webs (Wright, Rowe, et al, 2013; Wright, Thompson, & Galloway, 2013).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Everaert et al [3] calculated that the risk to marine ecosystems of floating MPs at the ocean surface layer will increase almost 10-fold by the year 2100, assuming a worst-case scenario of plastic discharge. A study of preserved fish samples from the Chicago region (USA) between 1900 and 2017 revealed a correlation between plastic production and microplastic contamination of fish [59]. It is therefore to be expected that the contamination of fish with microplastics will continue to increase in line with plastic production in the near future [32].…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Finally, it is often crucial to witness the presence of a species at a confirmed geographic locality, possibly integrated with further evidences, such as eDNA, acoustic recordings, photographs, and footage. This is particularly important, as the collecting of series of specimens is also useful for conservation purposes, e.g., to identify negative trends in populations, especially in current times which are featured by dramatic changes of climatic and environmental parameters (e.g., Hoffmann et al, 2010;Hou et al, 2021).…”
Section: Extinct and Threatened Species In Scientific Collectionsmentioning
confidence: 99%