0
Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Detection Methods Gut & Microbiome Marine & Wildlife Sign in to save

Investigation of microplastic presence in the intestinal and muscle tissues of wild and farmed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata).

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) 2025 Score: 38 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
BAYİZİT, Ayşenil, YILMAZ, Sevdan, ERGÜN, Sebahattin, YİĞİT, Murat, BÜYÜKATEŞ, Yeşim, ERDEM, Bilge, ERDEM, Murat

Summary

Researchers compared microplastic contamination in farmed and wild gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) across seasons in Turkish waters, finding that wild fish in winter had significantly higher intestinal microplastic loads (1.23 items/fish) than farmed fish, with polystyrene and polyethylene being the only polymers identified.

Polymers
Body Systems

The occurrence of microplastics in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) was comparatively investigated under different rearing conditions (farmed and wild) and across seasons (summer and winter). A total of 172 fish were analyzed for microplastics in muscle tissue and intestines. Microplastics were separated using a 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) digestion protocol, and polymer types were identified via ATR FT-IR spectroscopy. Suspicious particles in the meat samples were smaller and more suitable for measurement with the μ-FT-IR device, and therefore could not be detected. In terms of microplastics in the intestines, the number of positive fish in the wild group during the winter period was significantly higher (p<0.05) compared to the farm group. The MP/Fish Count in the wild samples during the winter period (1.23±0.17) was significantly higher than in the summer (0.61±0.10) and winter (0.37±0.11) farm groups (p<0.05). The average amount of microplastics was 0.52 microplastics/fish in farmed samples and 0.94 microplastics/fish in natural samples. Two types of plastics were identified: polystyrene and polyethylene. This study contributes to the literature by providing important and comparative data on microplastic contamination in gilthead sea bream from aquaculture and wild environments in Turkish waters.

Sign in to start a discussion.

More Papers Like This

Article Tier 2

Investigation of microplastic presence in the intestinal and muscle tissues of wild and farmed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata).

Researchers compared microplastic contamination in farmed and wild gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) across seasons in Turkish waters, finding that wild fish in winter had significantly higher intestinal microplastic loads (1.23 items/fish) than farmed fish, with polystyrene and polyethylene being the only polymers identified.

Article Tier 2

Microplastics Presence in Cultured and Wild Sea Bream Gasrointestinal Tract

This study detected and characterized microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of both wild-caught and farmed sea bream from the Adriatic Sea. Finding microplastics in both farmed and wild fish indicates widespread environmental contamination and raises food safety questions for seafood consumers.

Article Tier 2

Screening for microplastics in gastrointestinal tract of sea bream (Sparus aurata) from the Northern Adriatic

Researchers screened the gastrointestinal tracts of commercially important sea bream (Sparus aurata) from the Northern Adriatic for microplastic contamination, sampling fish during autumn and spring spawning periods and digesting intestines in potassium hydroxide solution. They found 77 microplastic particles in autumn and 17 in spring, with fibers being the most common morphology.

Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion evidence by economically important farmed fish species from Turkey

Researchers examined microplastic ingestion in farmed rainbow trout, gilthead seabream, and European seabass from Turkey, finding microplastics in 50-63% of fish gastrointestinal tracts, predominantly fibers and fragments from polyethylene and polypropylene.

Article Tier 2

Impact of polystyrene microplastic exposure on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata Linnaeus, 1758): Differential inflammatory and immune response between anterior and posterior intestine

Researchers fed gilthead seabream polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and found they triggered inflammation and immune disruption in both sections of the intestine, with the rear portion more severely affected. The microplastics activated inflammatory signaling pathways and weakened the gut barrier by reducing tight junction proteins. The findings suggest microplastic ingestion could compromise gut health and immune function in fish.

Share this paper