Microplastic accumulation in benthic macroinvertebrates is widespread, regardless of river ecological status

The accumulation of microplastics in freshwater organisms tends to increase with the level of urbanization along riverbanks.

However, other factors also play a significant role in this phenomenon. Benthic macroinvertebrates, in particular, may be disproportionately affected by the presence of microplastics due to their feeding strategies (e.g., filter feeders vs. detritivores), showing ingestion patterns that vary depending on their trophic behavior.

Despite this, it remains unclear to what extent such contamination impacts the aquatic community as a whole — reinforcing the need for in situ studies to better understand this relationship.

In this context, the team from Laboratório da Paisagem, together with the Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Associated Laboratory of the Aquatic Research Network (ARNET) at the University of Minho, has been developing applied research under the European project BluePoint, contributing to deeper knowledge of aquatic ecosystems and the design of measures to protect them.

Published in May 2025 in the scientific journal Hydrobiologia, the article titled “Microplastic accumulation in benthic macroinvertebrates is widespread, regardless of the river ecological status” presents the results of a study conducted in 15 sections of three watercourses in the municipality of Guimarães, across a rural–urban gradient.

The results demonstrate that microplastics were detected in aquatic organisms regardless of the ecological status of the river, suggesting that urban land use is not the only factor influencing the presence of these pollutants. Moreover, researchers identified microplastics in various subfamilies and tribes of Chironomidae, with distinct ecological functions — potentially facilitating the entry of these contaminants into the aquatic food web.

This study highlights that even well-preserved ecosystems are not immune to microplastic pollution, underlining the urgent need to expand research and develop more effective tools to monitor and mitigate its impacts on aquatic organisms.

🔗 Read the full article and download it for free here:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10750-025-05882-6#citeas

 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10750-025-05882-6#citeas