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Occurrence, biotic interactions, and ecotoxicological impacts of microplastics in the East African coastal environment: Insights and research priorities from the MICROMARINE Project
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This review pulls together research on tiny plastic bits (microplastics) polluting East African coastal waters, finding they're widespread in water, sediment, and sea life like fish and shellfish, but interestingly, how much plastic an animal ingests doesn't always match how much is in its environment, suggesting feeding habits matter more than pollution levels alone. Lab studies show these plastics can damage fish intestines and slow their growth, which raises concerns since these same fish and shellfish are food sources for people, though more research is needed to understand the full risk to human health.
Microplastic pollution is an emerging concern in East African coastal systems, yet the region remains underrepresented in global assessments. This paper synthesises findings from the MICROMARINE project and other regional studies to evaluate (i) environmental occurrence, (ii) biotic interactions, and (iii) ecotoxicological impacts of microplastics along the Kenyan and Tanzanian coasts into a narrative review. Microplastics are consistently detected in surface waters, sediments, and biota, with spatial variability often driven by urbanisation, riverine inputs, and local hydrodynamics. Fibers and fragments dominate across environmental compartments, although a substantial proportion of fibers may be natural or semi-synthetic, highlighting the importance of polymer identification. Despite widespread occurrence, current evidence suggests that organismal burdens in fish and bivalves do not consistently correlate with environmental concentrations, although this relationship remains uncertain given limited paired studies and species coverage, indicating that ingestion is influenced by feeding behaviour and exposure pathways rather than ambient levels alone. Regional experimental studies (derived largely from a freshwater teleost model) demonstrate that ingestion can cause intestinal damage, reduced growth, and altered energy allocation, providing a mechanistic basis for individual effects, but population-level impacts remain understudied. Building on these empirical studies, we identify research priorities across short-, medium-, and longer-term timescales, emphasising the need for existing knowledge to inform mitigation strategies, align regional research with global advances, and integrate plastic pollution within broader environmental concerns, namely climate change and biodiversity loss. Collectively, these findings provide an integrated regional synthesis and position East Africa as an increasingly important contributor to global microplastics research.
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Tiny plastic bits called microplastics are showing up throughout our oceans, and this review pulls together existing research showing they're building up in fish and other sea life. Since we eat seafood, these plastics can move up the food chain and into our bodies, raising concerns about long-term health effects that scientists are still working to understand. The researchers stress that we need more studies and stronger action to cut plastic pollution before it causes bigger problems for both marine life and the people who depend on seafood for food.
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This review assessed how microplastic pollution threatens African fishing resources, highlighting that inadequate waste management in coastal African nations accelerates plastic inputs and that fish species critical for food security show measurable microplastic ingestion, with risks compounded by the co-transport of persistent organic pollutants.
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This review examines the ecological consequences of microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems across sub-Saharan Africa, where research on the topic remains limited. Researchers summarized evidence that microplastics have been found in water, sediment, and aquatic organisms throughout the region, with potential effects on food chains and human health. The study highlights the urgent need for more comprehensive monitoring and policy responses in African countries.
Microplastics Contamination of Fish From The Creeks Along The Kenya Coast, Western Indian Ocean (WIO).
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This study found microplastics in five common food fish species along the Kenya coast of the Indian Ocean, with bottom-dwelling fish showing higher contamination than pelagic or reef fish. The findings indicate that plastic pollution has reached East African coastal fisheries, with potential implications for food safety among communities that depend on seafood.
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A study in Kenya's Lake Victoria found microplastics in the digestive tracts of 65% of fish sampled across four commercially important species, including Nile perch and tilapia. Given that these species are important sources of dietary protein for millions of people in East Africa, the findings raise direct human health concerns about plastic ingestion through fish consumption and call for stronger environmental protections in African freshwater systems.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.