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Bivalves play important roles in the ecosystem. However, bivalve populations have suffered a global decline in recent decades. This decline has caused public concern, because bivalves provide ecosystem services and are important sources of protein and ornaments (such as pearls) that support the fishing industry in coastal zones worldwide. Microplastics are an emerging global threat for bivalves and have been commonly detected in commercial edible bivalves, including mussels, oysters and clams. To comprehensively understand impacts of microplastics on bivalves, the potential exposure pathways by which microplastics affect bivalves are reviewed. The existing scientific evidence indicates that microplastics not only directly affect the physiology of bivalves, but also indirectly affect them by changing the structure of their sedimentary habitats, impairing their food resources and delivering persistent organic …