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Article

Environmental Drivers and Bioaccumulation Pathways of Microplastics in Freshwater Fish from the River Yamuna, India

by
Sneha Siwach
,
Padma Dolkar
,
Aarzoo Yadav
,
Apoorva Atri
,
Meenu Chaurasia
,
Pankaj Yadav
,
Themchuirin L.
,
Sonia Nongmaithem
,
Vyakhya Singh
,
Aviral Singh
and
Ram Krishan Negi
*
Fish Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, North Campus, Delhi 110007, India
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Microplastics 2026, 5(2), 125; https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics5020125
Submission received: 6 May 2026 / Revised: 3 June 2026 / Accepted: 5 June 2026 / Published: 15 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplastics in Freshwater Ecosystems)
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Abstract

Microplastic (MP) contamination is an emerging threat to aquatic ecosystems. However, species-specific bioaccumulation patterns across trophic guilds in tropical river ecosystems remain scarcely understood. This study assessed the occurrence, organ-level distribution, polymer composition, and ecological risk of MPs in 220 fish representing 12 species, spanning across multiple trophic guilds, sampled from four sites along a pollution gradient of the river Yamuna, India. MPs were detected in all examined species, confirming extensive distribution across the river ecosystem. A total 1678 MPs were recovered, with significantly higher abundance in fish from the highly urban Delhi stretch than in those from upstream regions (Kruskal–Wallis, H = 11.03, p = 0.011). The highest species-specific MP load was recorded in omnivorous Oreochromis niloticus from Sonia Vihar (436 MPs), whereas the carnivorous species Xenentodon cancila exhibited the lowest accumulation (37 MPs). Surface- and mid-water herbivores and omnivores accumulated more MPs than benthic carnivores and detritivores. Nonetheless, spatial pollution gradients exerted a stronger influence on MP accumulation, compared to trophic guilds. The gastrointestinal tract exhibited the highest MP abundance (751 MP particles), followed by gills (605) and muscle tissues (322), confirming ingestion as primary uptake route, and suggesting possible tissue translocation. Fibers dominated in the assemblage (77.8%), while transparent (44%) and blue (19.5%) were most abundant colors. ATR–FTIR analysis confirmed 10 diverse polymers, with polyethylene (≈24%) and polypropylene (≈21%) together accounting for nearly half of the identified particles. The Polymer Hazard Index analysis classified the recovered MP mix as Category IV (high ecological hazard). These findings identify the Delhi stretch of the Yamuna as a high MP contamination zone and highlight the combined influence of urban pollution and fish ecology on MP bioaccumulation.
Keywords: microplastics; river; freshwater fish; ecological risk; trophic guilds; MP distribution pattern microplastics; river; freshwater fish; ecological risk; trophic guilds; MP distribution pattern
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MDPI and ACS Style

Siwach, S.; Dolkar, P.; Yadav, A.; Atri, A.; Chaurasia, M.; Yadav, P.; L., T.; Nongmaithem, S.; Singh, V.; Singh, A.; et al. Environmental Drivers and Bioaccumulation Pathways of Microplastics in Freshwater Fish from the River Yamuna, India. Microplastics 2026, 5, 125. https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics5020125

AMA Style

Siwach S, Dolkar P, Yadav A, Atri A, Chaurasia M, Yadav P, L. T, Nongmaithem S, Singh V, Singh A, et al. Environmental Drivers and Bioaccumulation Pathways of Microplastics in Freshwater Fish from the River Yamuna, India. Microplastics. 2026; 5(2):125. https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics5020125

Chicago/Turabian Style

Siwach, Sneha, Padma Dolkar, Aarzoo Yadav, Apoorva Atri, Meenu Chaurasia, Pankaj Yadav, Themchuirin L., Sonia Nongmaithem, Vyakhya Singh, Aviral Singh, and et al. 2026. "Environmental Drivers and Bioaccumulation Pathways of Microplastics in Freshwater Fish from the River Yamuna, India" Microplastics 5, no. 2: 125. https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics5020125

APA Style

Siwach, S., Dolkar, P., Yadav, A., Atri, A., Chaurasia, M., Yadav, P., L., T., Nongmaithem, S., Singh, V., Singh, A., & Negi, R. K. (2026). Environmental Drivers and Bioaccumulation Pathways of Microplastics in Freshwater Fish from the River Yamuna, India. Microplastics, 5(2), 125. https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics5020125

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