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Microplastics in Two Fish Species from Lake Vaya (Burgas City, SE Bulgaria)
Summary
Researchers collected two fish species—Gambusia affinis and Liza saliens—from Lake Vaya in Burgas, Bulgaria, and characterized microplastic contamination across different body compartments. This was the first microplastic study from Lake Vaya, finding fibers as the dominant particle type with distribution patterns differing between species, providing regional baseline data for Black Sea coastal ecosystems.
Currently there is no data and studies from Lake Vaya, Burgas city on the status and quantity of microplastic (MP) particles in fish. This is the first study on the abundance, morphotype, size, polymer type and color of MP in Gambusia affinis, and Liza saliens from the Lake. We also investigated the distribution of MPs in different parts of the fish. Within each morphological group of MPs, three size classes were recognized: 25-100 µm, 100-200 µm and 200-500 µm. Microplastics were found in all studied fish tissues except for caviar, but in different proportions of pellets, fibers and fragments. In our study, fibers were the most isolated, followed by irregularly shaped MPs – fragments. Two types of polymers were found - PET and PA. There are currently no studies in Lake Vaya that assess the risk of ingestion of microplastics for fish health and human health. Research shows that almost all aquatic environments worldwide are at risk of MP contamination. Laboratory and field studies highlighted that fish are particularly susceptible to MP ingestion, although freshwater species have been studied less than marine ones. The results of our study suggest that consumption of fish from Lake Vaya may expose citizens to risk.