McNeish, R.E., M.D. Macchia, N.M. Lee, A.T. Harrison, A.J. Brown, J.K. Jackson, and J.R. Wallace. 2026. Insects 17(4): 386.
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Plain Language Summary
Plastics are a global contaminant of concern due to their large accumulation and pervasiveness in the environment worldwide. The global abundance and distribution of plastic pollution have been under scientific investigation since the 1970s; however, the ecological importance of plastics in ecosystems has been understudied. Microplastics (particles < 5 mm) have garnered attention due to their integration into terrestrial and aquatic food webs that also includes contamination of human environments, food, and beverages.
In this study, we measured microplastic abundance in aquatic macroinvertebrates from archived insect collections originating from six streams. We predicted that microplastic abundance in aquatic macroinvertebrates would be greater in urban and agriculture dominated watersheds compared to forested watersheds, in macroinvertebrate predators compared to other consumers, and that microplastic abundance would increase in macroinvertebrates through time.
Findings from this study suggested that microplastic abundance varied among years and percent land use (i.e., percent urban, agricultural and forest) in the landscape, partially supporting our predictions. Results also demonstrated that microplastics are prevalent among various pollution tolerant and intolerant taxa. Archived historical specimens in this study highlighted the importance of considering feeding strategies and connections to changes across watershed landscapes when studying microplastic pollution in the environment and interactions with aquatic biota.
