Pervasive Microplastic Ingestion by Commercial Fish Species from a Natural Lagoon Environment
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Date
2024
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Publisher
Water
Abstract
Microplastics have emerged as a significant global environmental concern in the recent
decade. The aim of this study was to elucidate microplastic contamination of commercial fish species
in a natural lagoon environment. Microplastic contamination was examined in the gastrointestinal
tracts and gills of 157 commercial fish from 18 species with varying feeding habits in a vital and
sensitive lagoon ecosystem, which connects to the Indian ocean. Microplastics were extracted using
digestion, followed by stereomicroscopic inspection using Nile Red stain, and identified via μ-FTIR
analysis. Over half of studied fishes ingested microplastics (54.14%). Filaments (50%) and blue
items (43%) were the most commonly ingested. Of all the fish species, Eubleekeria splendens had the
highest average concentration of microplastics in GIT (1.41 ± 2.52 items/g w.w. tissues), although
no statistically significant difference in amount of ingested microplastics (items/g w.w. tissues)
was observed among species. The highest concentrations of inhaled microplastics were recorded in
Sillago vincenti (1.38 ± 1.30 items/g w.w. tissues). The majority of the extracted microplastics (33%)
belonged in the size class 500–1500 μm with rayon, polyethylene terephthalate, and polypropylene
as the primary polymers. This study found no correlation between microplastic ingestion and fish
species and feeding habits, but a positive correlation with fish size was observed. These findings
reveal widespread microplastic contamination in edible fish, posing potential risks to commercially
important species due to increasing pollution in lagoon ecosystems.
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Keywords
microplastic, commercial fish, lagoon, gastrointestinal tract, gills, Sri Lanka
Citation
Athukorala, A., Amarathunga, A. A. D., De Silva, D. S. M., Bakir, A., McGoran, A. R., Sivyer, D. B., Dias, B. C. G., Kanishka, W. S., & Reeve, C. (2024). Pervasive Microplastic Ingestion by Commercial Fish Species from a Natural Lagoon Environment. Water, 16(20), 2909. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16202909