Polymer composition of microplastics in marine organisms across trophic levels

¹ Department of Marine Science and Technology, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, IPB University (Bogor Agricultural University), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
² Center for Transdisciplinary and Sustainability Sciences, IPB University (Bogor Agricultural University), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia.
³ National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Wakayama College, Gobo, Wakayama, Japan
⁴ institute for coMmunity Innovation in coLLAboration with KOSEN (MILLA), Toyohashi University of Technology, Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan
⁵ Wakayama Prefectural Museum of Natural History, Kainan, Wakayama, Japan

^* Corresponding authors : npzamani@gmail.com (NPZ); davin@wakayama-nct.ac.jp (DHES)

Abstract

Microplastic contamination poses a growing threat to marine ecosystems and human health, with impacts observed across all trophic levels. This study reviews 16 empirical articles to extract data on the chemical composition and morphological features of microplastic particles found in marine organisms. The analysis focuses on herbivorous, omnivorous, and carnivorous taxa, emphasizing polymer diversity and accumulation patterns. Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were the most commonly detected polymers across all trophic levels, with fiber as the dominant morphological form. Polymer diversity tended to increase in higher trophic levels, suggesting potential bioaccumulation. The color and shape of particles further varied across species, with blue and black fibers being the most frequent. The findings underline the need for consistent reporting of polymer data and reinforce the importance of integrating chemical composition analysis in microplastic monitoring strategies.