Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Plastic pollution: A focus on freshwater biodiversity

  • Review
  • Published:
Ambio Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Plastics are dominant pollutants in freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Scientific studies that investigated the interaction between plastics and freshwater biodiversity are incipient, especially if compared to the marine realm. In this review, we provide a brief overview of plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems around the world. We found evidence of plastic ingestion by 206 freshwater species, from invertebrates to mammals, in natural or semi-natural ecosystems. In addition, we reported other consequences of synthetic polymers in freshwater ecosystems—including, for instance, the entanglement of animals of different groups (e.g., birds). The problem of plastic pollution is complex and will need coordinated actions, such as recycling programs, correct disposal, stringent legislation, regular inspection, replacement of synthetic polymers with other materials, and ecological restoration. Current information indicates that the situation in freshwater ecosystems may be as detrimental as the pollution found in the ocean, although highly underappreciated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andrade, M.C., K.O. Winemiller, P.S. Barbosa, A. Fortunati, D. Chelazzi, A. Cincinelli, and T. Giarrizzo. 2019. First account of plastic pollution impacting freshwater fishes in the Amazon: Ingestion of plastic debris by piranhas and other serrasalmids with diverse feeding habits. Environmental Pollution 244: 766–773.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Araújo, A.P.C., and G. Malafaia. 2020. Can short exposure to polyethylene microplastics change tadpoles’ behavior? A study conducted with neotropical tadpole species belonging to order anura (Physalaemus cuvieri). Journal of Hazardous Materials 391: 122214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Araújo, A.P.C., N.F.S. Melo, A.G. Oliveira-Junior, F.P. Rodrigues, T. Fernandes, J.E. Andrade-Vieira, L.P. Rocha, and G. Malafaia. 2020. How much are microplastics harmful to the health of amphibians? A study with pristine polyethylene microplastics and Physalaemus cuvieri. Journal of Hazardous Materials 382: 121066.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Au, S.Y., T.F. Bruce, W.C. Bridges, and S.T. Klainey. 2015. Responses of Hyalella azteca to acute and chronic microplastic exposures. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 34: 2564–2572.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Azevedo-Santos, V.M., G.R.L. Gonçalves, P.S. Manoel, M.C. Andrade, F.P. Lima, and F.M. Pelicice. 2019a. Plastic ingestion by fish: A global assessment. Environmental Pollution 255: 112994.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Azevedo-Santos, V.M., R.G. Frederico, C.K. Fagundes, P.S. Pompeu, F.M. Pelicice, A.A. Padial, M.G. Nogueira, P.M. Fearnside, et al. 2019b. Protected areas: A focus on Brazilian freshwater biodiversity. Diversity and Distributions 25: 442–448.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Azevedo-Santos, V.M., R.M. Hughes, and F.M. Pelicice. in press. Ghost nets: A poorly known threat to Brazilian freshwater biodiversity. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências.

  • Ballent, A., P.L. Corcoran, O. Madden, P.A. Helm, and F. Longstaffe. 2016. Sources and sinks of microplastics in Canadian Lake Ontario nearshore, tributary and beach sediments. Marine Pollution Bulletin 110: 383–395.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blair, R.M., S. Waldron, V.R. Phoenix, and C. Gauchotte-Lindsay. 2019. Microscopy and elemental analysis characterization of microplastics in sediment of a freshwater urban river in Scotland, UK. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 26: 12491–12504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blettler, M.C.M., and K.M. Wantzen. 2019. Threats underestimated in freshwater plastic pollution: Mini-Review. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 230: 174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blettler, M.C.M., E. Abrial, F.R. Khan, N. Sivri, and L.A. Espinola. 2018. Freshwater plastic pollution: Recognizing research biases and identifying knowledge gaps. Water Research 143: 416–424.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boyero, L., N. López-Rojo, J. Bosch, A. Alonso, F. Correa-Araneda, and J. Pérez. 2019. Microplastics impair amphibian survival, body condition and function. Chemosphere 244: 125500.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruge, A., C. Barreau, J. Carlot, H. Collin, C. Moreno, and P. Maison. 2018. Monitoring litter inputs from the Adour River (Southwest France) to the marine environment. Journal of Marine Science and Engeneering 6: 24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castañeda, R.A., S. Avlijas, M.A. Simard, and A. Ricciardi. 2014. Microplastic pollution in St. Lawrence River sediments. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 71: 1767–1771.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castro, F., and A. Begossi. 1995. Ecology of fishing on the Grande River (Brazil): Technology and territorial rights. Fisheries Research 23: 361–373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cera, A., G. Cesarini, and M. Scalici. 2020. Microplastics in freshwater: What is the news from the World? Diversity 12 (7): 276.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chae, Y., and Y.-J. An. 2017. Effects of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic ecosystems: Current research trends and perspectives. Marine Pollution Bulletin 124: 624–632.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chae, Y., D. Kim, S.W. Kim, and Y.-J. An. 2018. Trophic transfer and individual impact of nano-sized polystyrene in a four-species freshwater food chain. Scientific Reports 8: 284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, J.S., Y.J. Jung, N.H. Hong, S.H. Hong, and J.-W. Park. 2018. Toxicological effects of irregularly shaped and spherical microplastics in a marine teleost, the sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus). Marine Pollution Bulletin 129: 231–240.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coelho, P.N., M.A. Fernandez, D.A.S. Cesar, A.M.C. Ruocco, and R. Henry. 2018. Updated distribution and range expansion of the gastropod invader Melanoides tuberculata (Müller, 1774) in Brazilian waters. BioInvasions Records 7: 405–409.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cressey, D. 2016. Bottles, bags, ropes and toothbrushes: The struggle to track ocean plastics. Nature 536: 263–265.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crisci-Bispo, V.L., P.C. Bispo, and C.G. Froehlich. 2004. Triplectides larvae in empty cases of Nectopsyche (Trichoptera, Leptoceridae) at Parque Estadual Intervales, São Paulo State, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 48 (1): 133–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cui, R., S.W. Kim, and Y.J. An. 2017. Polystyrene nanoplastics inhibit reproduction and induce abnormal embryonic development in the freshwater crustacean Daphnia galeata. Scientific Reports 7: 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Derraik, J.G. 2002. The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: A review. Marine Pollution Bulletin 44: 842–852.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ding, J., S. Zhang, R.M. Razanajatovo, H. Zou, and W. Zhu. 2018. Accumulation, tissue distribution, and biochemical effects of polystyrene microplastics in the freshwater fish red tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Environmental Pollution 238: 1–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Döring, B., S. Mecke, M. Kieckbusch, M. O’Shea, and K. Kaiser. 2017. Food spectrum analysis of the Asian toad, Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Schneider, 1799) (Anura: Bufonidae), from Timor Island, Wallacea. Journal of Natural History 51: 607–623.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duncan, E.M., Z.L. Botterell, A.C. Broderick, T.S. Galloway, P.K. Lindeque, A. Nuno, and B.J. Godley. 2017. A global review of marine turtle entanglement in anthropogenic debris: A baseline for further action. Endangered Species Research 34: 431–448.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ebere, E.C., V.A. Wirnkor, V.E. Ngozi, and I.S. Chukwuemeka. 2019. Macrodebris and microplastics pollution in Nigeria: First report on abundance, distribution and composition. Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology 34: e2019012.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eerkes-Medrano, D., R.C. Thompson, and D.C. Aldridge. 2015. Microplastics in freshwater systems: A review of the emerging threats, identification of knowledge gaps and prioritization of research needs. Water Research 75: 63–82.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ehlers, S.M., W. Manz, and J.H.E. Koop. 2019. Microplastics of different characteristics are incorporated into the larval cases of the freshwater caddisfly Lepidostoma basale. Aquatic Biology 28: 67–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eriksen, M., L.C. Lebreton, H.S. Carson, M. Thiel, C.J. Moore, J.C. Borerro, F. Galgani, P.G. Ryan, et al. 2014. Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans: More than 5 trillion plastic pieces weighing over 250,000 tons afloat at sea. PLoS ONE 9: e111913.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, D.H., P.M. Piermarini, and K.P. Choe. 2005. The multifunctional fish gill: Dominant site of gas exchange, osmoregulation, acid-base regulation, and excretion of nitrogenous waste. Physiological Reviews 85: 97–177.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Faure, F., C. Demars, O. Wieser, M. Kunz, and L.F. de Alencastro. 2015. Plastic pollution in Swiss surface waters: nature and concentrations, interaction with pollutants. Environmental Chemistry 12: 582.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, E.K., L. Paglialonga, E. Czech, and M. Tamminga. 2016. Microplastic pollution in lakes and lake shoreline sediments – A case study on Lake Bolsena and Lake Chiusi (central Italy). Environmental Pollution 213: 648–657.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frias, J.P.G.L., P. Sobral, and A.M. Ferreira. 2010. Organic pollutants in microplastics from two beaches of the Portuguese coast. Marine Pollution Bulletin 60: 1988–1992.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gasperi, J., R. Dris, T. Bonin, V. Rocher, and B. Tassin. 2014. Assessment of floating plastic debris in surface water along the Seine River. Environmental Pollution 195: 163–166.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giarrizzo, T., M.C. Andrade, K. Schmid, K.O. Winemiller, M. Ferreira, T. Pegado, D. Chelazzi, A. Cincinelli, et al. 2019. Amazonia: the new frontier for plastic pollution. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 17: 309–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gil-Delgado, J.A., D. Guijarro, R.U. Gosálvez, G.M. López-Iborra, A. Ponz, and A. Velasco. 2017. Presence of plastic particles in waterbirds faeces collected in Spanish lakes. Environmental Pollution 220: 732–736.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gonçalves, M., K. Schmid, M.C. Andrade, R. Andrades, T. Pegado, and T. Giarrizzo. 2020. Are the tidal flooded forests sinks for litter in the Amazonian estuary? Marine Pollution Bulletin 161: 111732.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guilhermino, L., L.R. Vieira, D. Ribeiro, A.S. Tavares, V. Cardoso, A. Alves, and J.M. Almeida. 2018. Uptake and effects of the antimicrobial florfenicol, microplastics and their mixtures on freshwater exotic invasive bivalve Corbicula fluminea. Science of The Total Environment 622: 1131–1142.

  • Guterres-Pazin, M.G., F.C. Rosas, and M. Marmontel. 2012. Ingestion of invertebrates, seeds, and plastic by the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis) (Mammalia, Sirenia). Aquatic Mammals 38: 322–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horton, A.A., C. Svendsen, R.J. Williams, D.J. Spurgeon, and E. Lahive. 2017. Large microplastic particles in sediments of tributaries of the River Thames, UK—Abundance, sources and methods for effective quantification. Marine Pollution Bulletin 114: 218–226.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, L., L. Su, Y. Xue, J. Mu, J. Zhu, J. Xu, and H. Shi. 2016. Uptake, accumulation and elimination of polystyrene microspheres in tadpoles of Xenopus tropicalis. Chemosphere 164: 611–617.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hurley, R.R., J.C. Woodward, and J.J. Rothwell. 2017. Ingestion of microplastics by freshwater tubifex worms. Environmental Science & Technology 51: 12844–12851.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hurt, R., C.M. O’Reilly, and W.L. Perry. 2020. Microplastic prevalence in two fish species in two US reservoirs. Limnology and Oceanography Letters 5: 147–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iriarte, V., and M. Marmontel. 2013. River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis, Sotalia fluviatilis) mortality events attributed to artisanal fisheries in the Western Brazilian Amazon. Aquatic Mammals 39 (2): 116–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jemec, A., P. Horvat, U. Kunej, M. Bele, and A. Krzan. 2016. Uptake and effects of microplastic textile fibers on freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna. Environmental Pollution 219: 201–209.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jin, Y., J. Xia, Z. Pan, J. Yang, W. Wang, and Z. Fu. 2018. Polystyrene microplastics induce microbiota dysbiosis and inflammation in the gut of adult zebrafish. Environmental Pollution 235: 322–329.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, K.C., and P. Voogt. 1999. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs): state of the science. Environmental Pollution 100: 209–221.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kalčíková, G., B. Alič, T. Skalar, M. Bundschuh, and A.Ž Gotvajn. 2017a. Wastewater treatment plant effluents as source of cosmetic polyethylene microbeads to freshwater. Chemosphere 188: 25–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalčíková, G., A. Žgajnar-Gotvajn, A. Kladnik, and A. Jemec. 2017b. Impact of polyethylene microbeads on the floating freshwater plant duckweed Lemna minor. Environmental Pollution 230: 1108–1115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khan, F.R., Y. Shashoua, A. Crawford, A. Drury, K. Sheppard, K. Stewart, and T. Sculthorp. 2020. ‘The plastic Nile’: First evidence of microplastic contamination in fish from the Nile River (Cairo, Egypt). Toxics 8: 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirk, E.A., and N. Popattanachai. 2018. Marine plastics: Fragmentation, effectiveness and legitimacy in international lawmaking. Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law 27: 222–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kruuk, H. 2006. Otters: Ecology, behavior, and conservation. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kuśmierek, N., and M. Popiołek. 2020. Microplastics in freshwater fish from Central European lowland river (Widawa R., SW Poland). Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27: 11438–11442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lebreton, L.C.M., J. Van der Zwet, J.W. Damsteeg, B. Slat, A. Andrady, and J. Reisser. 2017. River plastic emissions to the world’s oceans. Nature Communications 8: 15611.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lei, L., S. Wu, S. Lu, M. Liu, Y. Song, Z. Fu, H. Shi, K.M. Raley-Susman, et al. 2018. Microplastic particles cause intestinal damage and other adverse effects in zebrafish Danio rerio and nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Science of The Total Environment 619: 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, J., H. Liu, and J. Paul Chen. 2018a. Microplastics in freshwater systems: A review on occurrence, environmental effects, and methods for microplastics detection. Water Research 137: 362–374.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, J., K. Zhang, and H. Zhang. 2018b. Adsorption of antibiotics on microplastics. Environmental Pollution 237: 460–467.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Z., P. Yu, M. Cai, D. Wu, M. Zhang, Y. Huang, and Y. Zhao. 2018. Polystyrene nanoplastic exposure induces immobilization, reproduction, and stress defense in the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia pulex. Chemosphere 215: 74–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lowrance, R., R. Todd, J. Fail, O. Hendrickson, R. Leonard, and L. Asmussen. 1984. Riparian forests as nutrient filters in agricultural watersheds. BioScience 34: 374–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lusher, A., N.T. Buenaventura, D. Eidsvoll, J.E. Thrane, A. Økelsrud, and M. Jartun. 2018. Freshwater microplastics in Norway: A first look at sediment, biota and historical plankton samples from Lake Mjøsa and Lake Femunden. Norwegian Insititute for Water Research.

  • Magni, S., F. Gagné, C. André, C.D. Torre, J. Auclair, H. Hanana, C.C. Parenti, F. Bonasoro, and A. Binelli. 2018. Evaluation of uptake and chronic toxicity of virgin polystyrene microbeads in freshwater zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha (Mollusca: Bivalvia). Science of the Total Environment 631: 778–788.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mak, C.W., K.C.F. Yeung, and K.M. Chan. 2019. Acute toxic effects of polyethylene microplastic on adult zebrafish. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 182: 109442.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mansur, E.F., B.D. Smith, R.M. Mowgli, and M.A.A. Diyan. 2008. Two incidents of fishing gear entanglement of Ganges River dolphins (Platanista gangetica gangetica) in waterways of the Sundarbans mangrove forest, Bangladesh. Aquatic Mammals 34: 362–366.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, A.R., V.M.F. Silva, and D. Salmon. 2004. Riverine habitat preferences of botos (Inia geoffrensis) and tucuxis (Sotalia fluviatilis) in the central Amazon. Marine Mammal Science 20: 189–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mateos-Cárdenas, A., D.T. Scott, G. Seitmaganbetova, F.N.A.M. van Pelt, J. O’Halloran, and M.A.K. Jansen. 2019. Polyethylene microplastics adhere to Lemna minor (L.), yet have no effects on plant growth or feeding by Gammarus duebeni (Lillj.). Science of the Total Environment 689: 413–421.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merga, L.B., P.E. Redondo-Hasselerharm, P.J. Van den Brink, and A.A. Koelmans. 2020. Distribution of microplastic and small macroplastic particles across four fish species and sediment in an African lake. Science of the Total Environment 741: 140527.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moreno, P., and M. Callisto. 2006. Benthic macroinvertebrates in the watershed of an urban reservoir in Southeastern Brazil. Hydrobiologia 560: 311–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, F., and B. Quinn. 2018. The effects of microplastic on freshwater Hydra attenuata feeding, morphology & reproduction. Environmental Pollution 234: 487–494.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nelms, S.E., E.M. Duncan, A.C. Broderick, T.S. Galloway, M.H. Godfrey, M. Hamann, P.K. Lindeque, and B.J. Godley. 2016. Plastic and marine turtles: A review and call for research. ICES Journal of Marine Science 73: 165–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor, J.D., S. Murphy, H.T. Lally, I. O’Connor, R. Nash, J. O’Sullivan, M. Bruen, L. Heerey, A.A. Koelmans, A. Cullagh, and D. Cullagh. 2020. Microplastics in brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758) from an Irish riverine system. Environmental Pollution 267: 115572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Okada, E.K., A.A. Agostinho, and L.C. Gomes. 2011. Spatial and temporal gradients in artisanal fisheries of a large Neotropical reservoir, the Itaipu Reservoir, Brazil. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 62: 714–724.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park, T.-J., S. Lee, M.-S. Lee, J.-K. Lee, S.-H. Lee, and K.-D. Zoh. 2020. Occurrence of microplastics in the Han River and riverine fish in South Korea. Science of The Total Environment 708: 134535.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peng, G., P. Xu, B. Zhu, M. Bai, and D. Li. 2018. Microplastics in freshwater river sediments in Shanghai, China: A case study of risk assessment in mega-cities. Environmental Pollution 234: 448–456.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pierce, K.E., R.J. Harris, L.S. Larned, and M.A. Pokras. 2004. Obstruction and starvation associated with plastic ingestion in a Northern Gannet Morus bassanus and a Greater Shearwater Puffinus gravis. Marine Ornithology 32: 187–189.

    Google Scholar 

  • Plastics Europe. 2020. European plastic industry market data. Retrieved 10 April 2020, from https://www.plasticseurope.org/en/resources/market-data.

  • Qiao, R., Y. Deng, S. Zhang, M.B. Wolosker, Q. Zhu, H. Ren, and Y. Zhang. 2019. Accumulation of different shapes of microplastics initiates intestinal injury and gut microbiota dysbiosis in the gut of zebrafish. Chemosphere 236: 124334.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rehse, S., W. Kloas, and C. Zarfl. 2016. Short-term exposure with high concentrations of pristine microplastic particles leads to immobilisation of Daphnia magna. Chemosphere 153: 91–99.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, C., and P.G. Ryan. 2018. Micro-plastic ingestion by waterbirds from contamined wetlands in South Africa. Marine Pollution Bulletin 126: 330–333.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ribeiro-Brasil, D.R.G., N.R. Torres, A.B. Picanço, D.S. Sousa, V.S. Ribeiro, L.S. Brasil, and L.F.A. Montag. 2020. Contamination of stream fish by plastic waste in the Brazilian Amazon. Environmental Pollution 266: 115241.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, D.M., and V.H. Resh. 1993. Introduction to freshwater biomonitoring and benthic macroinvertebrates. In Freshwater biomonitoring and benthic macroinvertebrates, ed. D.M. Rosenberg and V.H. Resh. New York: Chapman and Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, P.G. 2018. Entanglement of birds in plastics and other synthetic materials. Marine Pollution Bulletin 135: 159–164.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sarijan, S., S. Azman, M.I.M. Said, and M.H. Lee. 2019. Ingestion of microplastics by commercial fish in Skudai River, Malaysia. Environment Asia 12: 75–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sazima, I., and G.B. D’Angelo. 2015. Dangerous traps: Anhingas mistake anthropogenic debris for prey fish at an urban site in South-eastern Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 23: 380–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scherer, C., R. Wolf, J. Völker, F. Stock, N. Brennhold, G. Reifferscheid, and M. Wagner. 2020. Toxicity of microplastics and natural particles in the freshwater dipteran Chironomus riparius: Same same but different? Science of the Total Environment 711: 134604.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmid, K., and T. Giarrizzo. 2019. More than fish—The potential of baited remote underwater video to assess freshwater herpetofauna and dolphins. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 166: 1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schuyler, Q., B.D. Hardesty, C. Wilcox, and K. Townsend. 2014. Global analysis of anthropogenic debris ingestion by sea turtles. Conservation Biology 28: 129–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shruti, V.C., M.P. Jonathan, P.F. Rodriguez-Espinosa, and F. Rodríguez-González. 2019. Microplastics in freshwater sediments of Atoyac River basin, Puebla City, Mexico. Science of the Total Environment 654: 154–163.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silva, V.M., and R.C. Best. 1996. Freshwater dolphin/fisheries interaction in the Central Amazon (Brazil). Amazoniana: Limnologia et Oecologia Regionalis Systematis Fluminis Amazonas 14: 165–175.

  • Silva, A.B., and M. Marmontel. 2009. Ingestão de lixo plástico como provável causa mortis de peixe-boi amazônico (Trichechus inunguis Natterer, 1883). Scientific Magazine UAKARI 5: 105–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slootmaekers, B., C. Catarci Carteny, C. Belpaire, S. Saverwyns, W. Fremout, R. Blust, and L. Bervoets. 2019. Microplastic contamination in gudgeons (Gobio gobio) from Flemish rivers (Belgium). Environmental Pollution 244: 675–684.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smiroldo, G., A. Balestrieri, E. Pini, and P. Tremolada. 2019. Anthropogenically altered trophic webs: Alien catfish and microplastics in the diet of Eurasian otters. Mammal Research 64: 165–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spirkovski, Z., D. Ilik-Boeva, D. Ritterbusch, R. Peveling, and M. Pietrock. 2019. Ghost net removal in ancient Lake Ohrid: A pilot study. Fisheries Research 211: 46–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanković, J., D. Milošević, D. Savić-Zdraković, G. Yalçin, D. Yildiz, M. Beklioğlu, and B. Jovanović. 2020. Exposure to a microplastic mixture is altering the life traits and is causing deformities in the non-biting midge Chironomus riparius Meigen (1804). Environmental Pollution 262: 114248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stelfox, M., J. Hudgins, and M. Sweet. 2016. A review of ghost gear entanglement amongst marine mammals, reptiles and elasmobranchs. Marine Pollution Bulletin 111: 6–17.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Urbanski, B.Q., A.C. Denadai, V.M. Azevedo-Santos, and M.G. Nogueira. 2020. First record of plastic ingestion by an important commercial native fish (Prochilodus lineatus) in the middle Tietê River basin, Southeast Brazil. Biota Neotropica 20: e20201005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Weert, S., P.E. Redondo-Hasselerharm, N.J. Diepens, and A.A. Koelmans. 2019. Effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on the growth of sediment-rooted macrophytes. Science of The Total Environment 654: 1040–1047.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veron, G., B.D. Patterson, and R. Reeves. 2008. Global diversity of mammals (Mammalia) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia 595: 607–617.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vogt, R.C., and S.G. Guzman. 1988. Food partitioning in a Neotropical freshwater turtle community. Copeia 1988: 37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, J., J. Peng, Z. Tan, Y. Gao, Z. Zhan, Q. Chen, and L. Cai. 2017. Microplastics in the surface sediments from the Beijiang River littoral zone: Composition, abundance, surface textures and interaction with heavy metals. Chemosphere 171: 248–258.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weber, C.J., and C. Opp. 2020. Spatial patterns of mesoplastics and coarse microplastics in floodplain soils as resulting from land use and fluvial processes. Environmental Pollution 267: 115390.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, Y., P. Guo, X. Zhang, Y. Zhang, S. Xie, and J. Deng. 2019. Effect of microplastics exposure on the photosynthesis system of freshwater algae. Journal of Hazardous Materials 374: 219–227.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, L., Y. Xie, S. Zhong, J. Liu, Y. Qin, and P. Gao. 2020. Microplastics in freshwater and wild fishes from Lijiang River in Guangxi, Southwest China. Science of the Total Environment 755: 142428.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ziajahromi, S., O.A. Kumar, P.A. Neale, and F.D.L. Leusch. 2017. Impact of microplastic beads and fibers on waterflea (Ceriodaphnia dubia) survival, growth, and reproduction: Implications of single and mixture exposures. Environmental Science & Technology 51: 13397–13406.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ziajahromi, S., A. Kumar, P.A. Neale, and F.D.L. Leusch. 2018. Environmentally relevant concentrations of polyethylene microplastics negatively impact the survival, growth and emergence of sediment-dwelling invertebrates. Environmental Pollution 236: 425–431.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Michel Jégu, for providing photographs used in Fig. 1a and b. We are grateful to Raoul Henry (UNESP), for providing comments on the first draft of this manuscript, to Nuno M. Pedroso (CENA), for providing literature about Lutra lutra,  and to the three reviewers that significantly improved the quality of this document. JFP is funded by FAPESP (#2019/01308-5), MFGB and FMP received CNPq research grants, and LRPP received FATEC grants. MCA is funded by PNPD/CAPES (# 2017-6; Finance Code 001), TG received a productivity grant from CNPq (#311078/2019-2), and JLP is funded by PNPD/CAPES (Process Number 88887.473604/2020-00).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil

    Valter M. Azevedo-Santos, Pedro S. Manoel, Geslaine R. L. Gonçalves, Milena R. Wolf & Ana M. C. Ruocco

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia E Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil

    Marcelo F. G. Brito

  3. Laboratório de Biologia de Camarões Marinhos E de Água Doce (LABCAM), Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Bauru, SP, Brazil

    Júlia F. Perroca

  4. Laboratório de Ecologia, Universidade Do Estado de Santa Catarina, Laguna, SC, Brazil

    Júlia F. Perroca & Jorge Luiz Rodrigues-Filho

  5. Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Planejamento Territorial e Desenvolvimento Socioambiental, Universidade Do Estado de Santa Catarina, Laguna, SC, Brazil

    Jorge Luiz Rodrigues-Filho

  6. Faculdade de Tecnologia Nilo de Stéfani (FATEC), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil

    Lucas R. P. Paschoal

  7. Instituto Nacional de Limnología (INALI; CONICET-UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina

    Martín C. M. Blettler

  8. Núcleo de Ecologia Aquática E Pesca da Amazônia and Laboratório de Biologia Pesqueira E Manejo Dos Recursos Aquáticos, Grupo de Ecologia Aquática, Universidade Federal Do Pará, 2651 Avenida Perimetral, Belém, PA, Brazil

    Marcelo C. Andrade & Tommaso Giarrizzo

  9. Ictiológica Consultoria Ambiental ME/LTDA, Botucatu, SP, Brazil

    André B. Nobile & Felipe P. Lima

  10. Faculdade Eduvale de Avaré, Avaré, SP, Brazil

    Carolina V. Silva

  11. Laboratório de Plâncton, Departamento de Hidrobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Gilmar Perbiche-Neves

  12. Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil

    Jorge L. Portinho

  13. Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    Marlene S. Arcifa

  14. Núcleo de Estudos Ambientais, Universidade Federal Do Tocantins, Porto Nacional, TO, Brazil

    Fernando M. Pelicice

Authors
  1. Valter M. Azevedo-Santos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marcelo F. G. Brito
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pedro S. Manoel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Júlia F. Perroca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jorge Luiz Rodrigues-Filho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lucas R. P. Paschoal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Geslaine R. L. Gonçalves
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Milena R. Wolf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Martín C. M. Blettler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Marcelo C. Andrade
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. André B. Nobile
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Felipe P. Lima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Ana M. C. Ruocco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  14. Carolina V. Silva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  15. Gilmar Perbiche-Neves
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  16. Jorge L. Portinho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  17. Tommaso Giarrizzo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  18. Marlene S. Arcifa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  19. Fernando M. Pelicice
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Valter M. Azevedo-Santos.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (PDF 912 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Azevedo-Santos, V.M., Brito, M.F.G., Manoel, P.S. et al. Plastic pollution: A focus on freshwater biodiversity. Ambio 50, 1313–1324 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-020-01496-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-020-01496-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation