Freshwater food webs amplify microplastic transfer to fish

Freshwater food webs amplify microplastic transfer to fish | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Biological Sciences - Article Freshwater food webs amplify microplastic transfer to fish Piotr Maszczyk, Ewa Babkiewicz, Reid Brennan, Marta Czarnocka-Cieciura, and 13 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7554541/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Summary paragraph Microplastics are pervasive in aquatic and terrestrial environments¹,²,³, yet the processes that govern their accumulation in organisms across habitats remain unclear. Here we show that freshwater fish consistently carry higher microplastic burdens than marine fish. This contrast reflects two drivers: freshwater environments tend to hold higher ambient microplastic levels, and non-selective freshwater zooplankton more efficiently transfer particles to fish. Smaller particles are more readily ingested by zooplankton and passed on to fish. Across datasets, the freshwater–marine difference is strongest in gut and whole-body, detectable in muscle, and weakest in gills, consistent with dietary rather than branchial exposure. Guild-specific patterns align with a zooplankton-mediated pathway, with clear freshwater–marine contrasts in carnivores but not in herbivores. Although fish gastrointestinal contents show trophic dilution, bioaccumulation remains substantial in gut, gills and muscle, consistent with retention in tissues that are consumed by humans. These findings challenge the prevailing view that marine seafood is the dominant dietary source of microplastics⁴,⁵,⁶ and highlight the need to explicitly include freshwater fisheries in exposure assessments. Biological sciences/Ecology/Ecosystem ecology Earth and environmental sciences/Ecology/Community ecology/Food webs Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementaryInformation07.09.2025.pdf Freshwater food webs amplify microplastic transfer to fish ExtendedData07.09.2025.pdf Extended Data 1 Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7554541","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Biological Sciences - Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":514902862,"identity":"f524fe25-39c6-4690-8edd-9d8d8ed3051e","order_by":0,"name":"Piotr 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