Trophic transfer of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems: Identifying critical research needs

To evaluate the process of trophic transfer of microplastics, it is important to consider various abiotic and biotic factors involved in their ingestion, egestion, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification. Toward this end, a review of the literature on microplasticshas been conducted to identify factors influencing their uptake and absorption; their residence times in organisms and bioaccumulation; the physical effects of their aggregation in gastrointestinal tracts; and their potential to act as vectors for the transfer of other contaminants. Limited field evidence from higher trophic levelorganisms in a variety of habitats suggests that trophic transfer of microplasticsmay be a common phenomenon and occurs concurrently with direct ingestion. Critical research needs include standardizing methods of field characterization of microplastics, quantifying uptake and depurationrates in organisms at different trophic levels, quantifying the influence that microplasticshave on the uptake and/or depurationof environmental contaminants among different trophic levels, and investigating the potential for biomagnificationof microplastic-associated chemicals. More integrated approaches involving computational modeling are required to fully assess trophic transfer of microplastics. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:505–509. © 2017 SETAC