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Microplastics in siluriform fish sold in Itacoatiara (AM), Brazil
Summary
Researchers in Brazil found that more than 83% of two commercially sold catfish species (Pterygoplichthys pardalis and Hoplosternum littorale) collected from Amazonian floodplains were contaminated with microplastics, averaging about 2.7 particles per fish. The dominant particle types were fibers and fragments, pointing to textile and packaging waste as key sources. Because these fish are widely consumed locally, this study highlights a direct route through which microplastics enter the human diet in the Amazon region.
A contaminação por microplásticos (MPs) já foi registrada em diversos ambientes e organismos ao redor do mundo. O objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar a ocorrência de MPs em duas espécies de peixes siluriformes Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Castelnau, 1855) e Hoplosternum littorale (Hancock, 1828) considerando o sexo e diferentes partes do corpo dos peixes capturados em áreas de várzea da Amazônia e comercializados e consumidos no Município de Itacoatiara, Amazonas, Brasil. Um total de 150 indivíduos de cada espécie de peixe P. pardalis e H. littorale foram analisados quanto a presença de microplásticos. Ao todo 252 indivíduos foram registrados com presença de MPs, sendo 127 (85%) de P. pardalis e 125 (83%) de H. littorale. Os peixes estavam contaminados com 683 partículas de MPs, variando de 1 a 43 partículas de MPs/individuo, com média de 2,71±3,2 partículas de MPs/indivíduo de P. pardalis e H. littorale. A comparação de ocorrência e tamanho das partículas de MPs entre as espécies, sexo e parte corpóreas, não apresentou diferença significativa. Os MPs com formato de fibra (80%) de cor azul (85,5%) foram os mais abundantes para P. pardalis, e para H. littorale (92% para fibra e 85% para cor azul). As partículas foram identificadas como polietileno tereftalato e poliestireno. O resultado do presente estudo indica contaminação de MPs nos peixes P. pardalis e H. littorale, que são amplamente consumidos pelas comunidades ribeirinhas da Amazônia. Este fato é alarmante já que estas espécies muitas vezes são cozidas inteiras (incluindo as vísceras), o que indica uma rota direta de contaminação de microplásticos para humanos.
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