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Microplastic prevalence in epipelagic layer: Evidence from epipelagic inhabiting prawns of north-west Arabian Sea
Summary
Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in ten commercial prawn species from the northwest Arabian Sea off Gujarat, India. The study found an average of 590 microplastic particles across gastrointestinal tracts, with significant variation between species and harbors, highlighting concerns about microplastic transfer through commercially important seafood.
The escalating global microplastic (MP) pollution severely threatens marine life due to insufficient waste management and widespread single-use plastic. This study focuses on assessing MP contamination in commercial prawns from Gujarat State, India. Ten prawn species collected at five main fishing harbors revealed 590 MP particles in their gastrointestinal tracts, averaging 6.08 ± 5.96 MPs/g and 1.15 ± 0.78 MPs/individual. Significant variations in contamination levels were observed between species and study sites. Pollution indices indicated very high contamination throughout the study sites. Threads were the predominant shape, with blue and black as prevalent colors. Size-wise, 1-2 mm MPs dominated. Polymer analysis identified polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. The findings provided crucial preliminary information for ecotoxicology and seafood safety investigations regarding MP contamination in commercially important prawns.