Xenobiotic Microplastic Pollutants in the Silver Catfish (chrysichthys Nigrodigitatus, Lacépéde, 1803) Harvested from the Ikpoba River, Benin City, Nigeria

The contamination of aquatic ecosystems around the world with microplastics (MPs) has become a worrisome scenario owing to their inclusion in food webs and consequent adverse effects in man. Therefore, the levels of MPs in Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Mean total length, 31.45±1.26 cm and mean weight, 820.43±1.07 g) from the Ikpoba river, Benin city, Nigeria, were determined by Fourier Transform Infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy against the paucity of relevant data on MPs in this ecosystem. The mean level of MPs in C. nigrodigitatus ranged from 0.0113 at the Ikpoba bridge in the month of August to 0.0163 at Upper Lawani in the month of September, with no observed significant difference (p>0.05) in such levels in fish across months and stations while the plastic load ranged from 0.00111 at the Ikpoba bridge in July, August and September to 0.00136 at Upper Lawani in September. The research further revealed that fragments of polyethylene (PE) dominated the plastic particle profile in fish. The estimated annual intake values (No./person/year) ranged from 0.002527 at the Okhoro and Ikpoba bridge stations to 0.002907 at the Upper Lawani station while the estimated daily intake values (No./person/day) ranged from 6.923 at the Okhoro and Ikpoba bridge stations to 7.964 at the Upper Lawani station. The research concluded that strategic management measures and public enlightenment are vital in order to stem the tide of the evident polymer pollution.