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Tropical sharks feasting on and swimming through microplastics: First evidence from Malaysia
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Researchers examined microplastic contamination in five tropical shark species from Malaysian waters, finding that 100% of the 74 sharks sampled contained microplastics. A total of 2,211 plastic particles were found in gastrointestinal tracts and gills, averaging about 30 particles per shark, with black fibers being the most dominant type and polyester the most common polymer. The study suggests that microplastic uptake may be gender-related in some shark species.
Plastic can be degraded into microplastic (<5 mm) and has been polluting worldwide marine environment and negatively impact human health. Microplastics in marine organisms are still understudied in Malaysia, let alone from a subclass Elasmobranchii. Five tropical shark species (Carcharhinus dussumieri, Carcharhinus sorrah, Chiloscyllium hasseltii, Chiloscyllium punctatum, and Scoliodon laticaudus) were examined for the presence of microplastics. 74 sharks were sampled from the local wet market and 100 % of samples contained microplastics. A total of 2211 plastic particles were found in gastrointestinal tracts (GIT) and gills, where 29.88 ± 2.34 particles per shark (mean ± SEM). Black (40.07 %) and fiber (84.44 %) microplastics were the most dominant. Extracted microplastic sizes ranged from 0.007 mm to 4.992 mm. This study suggests that microplastic uptake is gender-related for some shark species. A subsample of microplastics (10 %) was used for polymer type identification, where polyester was recorded the highest (43.95 %).
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