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Quantifying microplastics in native and farmed fish: Evidence from Orestias agassii and Oncorhynchus mykiss in Lake Titicaca
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Scientists found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in the guts of fish from Lake Titicaca, a major food source for local communities—and farmed rainbow trout had way more plastic in them (up to 135 pieces!) than the wild native fish (black carachi). This matters because when we eat fish, we may also be eating the microplastics still in their digestive systems, especially if farmed fish are exposed to more plastic pollution than wild ones—though more research is needed to know exactly how this affects human health.
Orestias agassii (black carachi) and Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout) are key fish species in the diet of local populations surrounding Lake Titicaca. However, recent studies have raised concern about the presence of microplastics (MPs) in this high-altitude aquatic ecosystem. Hence, this study aimed to quantify MPs in the gastrointestinal tracts of black carachi and rainbow trout from the Chucuito and Uros Chulluni areas of Lake Titicaca. The research was conducted between May and July 2024. A total of 100 O. agassii and 50 O. mykiss individuals were dissected, and gastrointestinal contents were digested using 10% KOH to isolate MPs. The results showed an average of 6.02 MPs/individual in black carachi from Uros Chulluni and 5.34 MPs/individual in Chucuito, providing the first documented evidence of MP ingestion in this native species in Lake Titicaca. In rainbow trout, MP concentrations were significantly higher, with averages of 21.1 MPs in Capachica and 44.6 MPs in Chucuito, and maximum values of 71 and 135 MPs/individual, respectively. A positive relationship was found between MP ingestion and digestive tract morphometry in both native and farmed species.
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