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Environmental Drivers and Bioaccumulation Pathways of Microplastics in Freshwater Fish from the River Yamuna, India
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Scientists found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in every single fish they tested from India's Yamuna River, with fish from polluted urban areas containing far more than those upstream. The plastic wasn't just in the fish guts—it showed up in gills and muscle tissue too, meaning it can end up in the parts we actually eat, and some of the plastic types detected are known to be especially toxic. Since this river's fish are a food source for many people, this research is an early warning sign that we need to better understand how much plastic pollution is entering our diets through seafood.
The increasing presence of microplastics (MPs) in freshwater ecosystems poses significant threats to aquatic biota; yet, species-level information on the presence of MPs in Indian riverine ecosystems is scarce. This study assessed 220 fish samples from twelve species and various trophic levels for MP ingestion, organ-level accumulation, polymer type, and ecological risk at four locations along the River Yamuna in India. MPs were detected in all the studied species and organs, indicating their widespread distribution across various ecological habitats and trophic levels. A total of 1,678 MPs were quantified, which were significantly higher in fish from urban Delhi compared to upstream regions. The gastrointestinal tract had the highest MP concentrations (751), followed by gills (605) and muscle tissues (322), thus confirming ingestion as the primary route of MP uptake and their subsequent translocation into internal organs. Fibers dominated the MP community (>78%), with transparent (44%) and blue (19.5%) particles being the most abundant. ATR-FTIR analysis revealed the presence of ten different polymers, with polyethylene (≈24%) and polypropylene (≈21%) contributing to approximately 45% of MPs. Significant organ-level correlations (r/ρ = 0.635-0.958) and spatial variability (Kruskal-Wallis, H = 11.03, p = 0.011) indicated coordinated MP accumulation influenced by urban pollution. The Polymer Hazard Index analysis revealed a high PHI value (Category IV), mainly contributed by the widespread distribution of highly toxic polymers such as polycarbonate and polyimide.
More Papers Like This
Environmental Drivers and Bioaccumulation Pathways of Microplastics in Freshwater Fish from the River Yamuna, India
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in every single fish they tested from India's Yamuna River, with the most pollution found in fish from heavily urban areas near Delhi—and even in fish muscle tissue, the part people actually eat. This matters because it shows plastic pollution is working its way through the food chain and directly into fish that end up on dinner plates, raising concerns about how much plastic we might be consuming when we eat freshwater fish from polluted rivers.
Microplastic Contamination in Aquatic Biota: a Comparative Study of Fish Species from the Ganga and Gomti Rivers
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Scientists found tiny plastic fibers, mostly from packaging, clothing, and household items, in the gills and guts of fish from India's Ganga and Gomti rivers, with some fish species absorbing more than others. Since these fish are commonly eaten, this suggests people may be unknowingly consuming microplastics through their diet, and the study found some of these plastics carry metals and pose real risks to aquatic life, highlighting the need for better plastic waste management to protect both ecosystems and the food supply.
Assessment and accumulation of microplastics in the Indian riverine systems: Risk assessment and implications of translocation across the water-to-fish continuum
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This review assessed microplastic pollution across Indian rivers and the fish that live in them, finding widespread contamination in both water and fish tissues. Microplastics were found to transfer from river water into fish organs including gills, gut, liver, and muscle tissue that people eat. Since Indian rivers support the livelihoods and food supply of hundreds of millions of people, this contamination pathway is a significant concern for human dietary exposure to microplastics.
Microplastic Ingestion by Fishes from Jamuna River, Bangladesh
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Freshwater fish from the Jamuna River in Bangladesh were examined for microplastic ingestion, finding plastics in a high proportion of individuals across multiple species. The study provides early evidence of freshwater microplastic contamination in Bangladesh and highlights the Jamuna River as a significant conduit for plastic pollution.
Abundance, characteristics, and risk assessment of microplastics in indigenous freshwater fishes of India
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Researchers examined microplastic contamination in five widely consumed freshwater fish species from India and found plastic particles in all specimens, with fibers being the most dominant type. Evidence of microplastics in edible fish tissue indicates translocation from the gut, suggesting a pathway for human exposure through consumption. Risk assessment showed that while microplastic abundance posed a low quantitative risk, the polymer types identified indicated a high hazard potential for the fish species studied.
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